Hekili Pao
by Cokie316
Summary: The words 'back up' aren't even in his dictionary!
1. Prologue

**_Hekili Pao _**

**_By Cokie_**

**_This doesn't look to be a very long story - maybe 7 or 8 short chapters. It is completed with the exception of the epilogue, so I felt safe beginning to post it._**

**_As per the usual, I don't own any of these characters. I've saved my pennies, checked Ebay and Craig's List but they STILL aren't available. I am just playing with them and will return them none the worse for wear. Well, almost..._**

**_As always, thanks to Rowena and Kathie for being my sounding boards and listening, reading and pointing me in the best direction. _**

**_Also, a special thanks to Sockie1000 who should be crowned "Queen of Beta". Her comments and ideas have really strengthened this story. Thank you, muchly!_**

~~H50~~

**_Prologue_**

The Five-0 office was quiet, winding down for the weekend. Danny had received an unexpected call from his ex-wife…and for once, it was a _**pleasant**_ call. It wasn't his weekend for custody, but Rachel had asked if he would want to have dinner with Grace that evening. Danny had jumped at the chance and nearly ran out the door, waving goodbye behind his back. While the offer could be viewed as selfish on Rachel's part because she wanted a fast babysitter, she had been much more cooperative since the mess with Stan and was actively seeking out ways to allow Grace and Danny to have more time together.

Which made for a much happier Danny Williams!

The other three team members were finishing up their week's work. For the past three days, they had been tracking a connection between drug smugglers from Guatemala with a group in Hawaii, and while they had made some progress, today, all their leads had been shot to hell.

Which made for a very grouchy McGarrett!

Chin Ho pushed open the glass door to McGarrett's office. "Hey, we're going to grab a bite. Want to come with?"

"Ah, not tonight, Chin. Think I'm going to eat leftovers and hopefully catch a game on TV." He scrubbed his hand through his hair, causing even more of it to stand on end. "It's been a long week and I'm probably not the best company tonight."

"Don't work too late, Brah. We'll make the connection and get these guys. You need anything else from us?"

"Nah, I'm good." He waved at Kono as she came from the locker area. "See you guys on Monday. Enjoy your weekend."

"No dinner tonight?" she asked.

"I'm headed home," he assured her. And he was right behind them, preparing to turn out his light when the phone rang.

"Five to one it's Danny," he muttered to himself, backtracking to answer the desk phone. "McGarrett."

"Commander. It's Briggs from Narcotics."

"Yeah, you got something for me?"

"Maybe. We hope, anyway. Just talked to a snitch who has been fairly reliable in the past. Said he heard that Akamu Kane has been holed up in his sister's house up on Portlock Road near Kokee Park. Thought you might want the Intel."

"Yeah, you get an address?" He listened, writing it down on his hand. "Got it, thanks."

"Hope it pans out," Briggs added. "Let me know if we can help."

"Will do. We'll check it out first thing in the morning."

Steve hung up the phone and stared at the address, recognizing the neighborhood. He checked his watch and realized it wasn't quite nine…plenty of time. Making a decision, he turned out the office light and reached for his cell phone as he walked toward the door.

The call was answered after the first ring. "You better not still be working, McGarrett."

"I'm leaving now. Got a sec?" Steve heard high-pitched laughter in the background. "I take it Grace is still there?"

"What was your first clue, Sherlock? Gracie, say hello to Steve."

" Steve! Are you coming over? Please, please, please? We're playing poker."

"Sorry, Grace, not tonight. Besides, you cleaned me out the last time."

He heard her giggle as Danny took back the phone. "Tell me about it," Williams griped. "She's got all my M&Ms and now is taking my Skittles. This girl is ruthless."

"Can't imagine which side of the family she got that from."

"Hey! I think I resent that."

"Call them like I see them. I need your help."

"Anything, unless it involves an all-night stake out. I am not setting the alarm tomorrow."

"Well, sorry. No stake out, but you're gonna need to set that alarm."

"What's up? Take _**that**_, Grace Elizabeth." Steve could hear as he threw down his cards. "I want my Skittles back."

"You with me?" Steve asked.

"I'm listening, what's going down?"

"Narcotics has a possible address for Kane. After Grace leaves tonight, can you get a warrant for us for tomorrow morning? Early?"

"Who are you and what did you do with my partner? Gracie, you think that's funny? This guy on the phone can't be Steve 'cos _**he**_ asked for a search warrant."

"Funny, Danny."

"The Steve McGarrett I know doesn't even know what a search warrant is."

"Do, too."

"Yeah, maybe, but you don't get them."

"Of course I don't. That's what I've got you for," McGarrett shot back. "I'll send you the address in a text. And thanks."

"You home yet?"

"I'm in the truck. I'm gonna ride by—"

"No, NO and _**HELL NO**_."

"What's your problem? I want to just see the layout. I'm not going to compromise anything by driving by."

"What's my problem?" Danny's rant began. "You have got to be friggin' kidding me," he muttered. "Gracie, cover your ears 'cause Danno's gonna yell at Steve." Beginning to shout, he continued, "My problem is a partner who goes off willy-nilly all by himself without backup and gets into trouble. I can't begin to count how many times—"

"Did you just say 'Willy-nilly'? Really, Danny? Sounds like an 80's band. And why should I need back up when I'm only driving by the house?"

"You're just driving by? I can't believe you even said that. I swear, McGarrett, you need back up because _**I know you**_. That's why."

"Nothing's gonna happen. Can you get the warrant or not?"

"Of course I can get a warrant. Listen, come by here, eat some of our leftover pizza and after Rachel and Stan pick up this silly monkey, we can go together."

"Danny, that would be backtracking. Besides, I'm already on my way out there. I'll see you in the morning."

"McGarrett, behave yourself. I better not get a 3 a.m. wake up call from the E.R."

~~~ H50 ~~~

Danny's phone rang again just as Grace was climbing into the back seat of Stan's newest 'toy'. This time the car was a shiny, black Lexus and Danny shook his head while trying to count the number of new cars Stan had leased in just the short time he had been in Hawaii. _Gotta be overcompensation for something_, he thought with a wicked grin.

With a final wave to his daughter, he pulled the phone from his pocket. "Yes, Steven?"

"Need back up," McGarrett yelled into the phone.

Williams heard his partner's feet pounding the pavement as he ran. "What the hell's going on?"

"No time. Get coordinates from my phone. One dead; I'm in pursu-"

The sound of two rapid shots drowned out the rest of McGarrett's explanation. Danny heard a thud, and then nothing.

"Steve? Steve! Hello? Dammit, answer me!"

~~~ H50 ~~~

8 Page


	2. Chapter 1

_**Chapter 1 **_

Steve drove down Kalanianaole Highway, windows down on the truck. He knew where he was going; in his early teens, he had spent many hours nearby watching the men dive from the high cliffs above Spitting Cave into the water below. In fact, he and his friend, Kapena, had waited until the men had left one evening and had made the dive themselves. Once. The view from the top of the cliff was breathtaking at sunset, but the sun had dipped below the horizon before the boys had gathered enough courage to jump…

"_Come on, Steve. This was your idea – you go first."_

"_No way, Dude. You'll watch me and you'll chicken out and head for your bike. No way am I going first."_

"_Okay, how about on three?" Kapena asked._

"_I can do that. So, is it 'one, two, three, jump', or do you want to go on 'one, two, jump on three?"_

"_Uh, let's go with 'one, two, three' and then we jump."_

"_Good," Steve replied. "On three, we run and jump. Ready?"_

"_Ready," Kapena agreed, then took a step backward. "Wait, Brah, you sure about this?"_

"_Look, I gotta get home soon. My parents are going someplace tonight and I have to stay with Mary Ann. Come on, let's do it. On three, right."_

"_Okay, on three."_

With loud whoops that were a mixture of excitement and absolute terror, they ran and launched themselves into the air and over the cliff. The jump itself was thrilling; the water below, not so much. The swiftness of the current and the nearness of the rocks had scared the piss out of the fifteen year olds and once they both made it out of the water, just a little worse for wear, they swore never to tell anyone how stupid they had been.

If it had only been that easy…

_Steve walked down the stairs a bit slower than normal and made his way to the kitchen where his nose followed the scent of bacon frying. His stomach had rumbled at the smell of breakfast and like most growing boys, he was hungry all the time._

_His mom glanced over her shoulder while turning the meat. "Morning', Hon. Sorry your dad and I were out so late last night. You both were in bed when we got home. Everything all right?"_

"_Sure, why?" he asked, a niggling of fear creeping in._

"_Well, for starters, why are you wearing sweatpants?"_

"_Dunno. Just 'cause, I guess. No reason," he hedged, quickly telling his stomach to quit growling because he decided to forget breakfast and head outside, away from her eagle eye._

_She laid the last of the bacon on a plate, set down the spatula and turned off the stove. Then she turned around and faced him, hands on her hips. "You're not going anyplace. Talk to me."_

"_There's no reason, I swear. I dunno, I just grabbed them from the drawer."_

"_I can't get you out of shorts long enough to go to church, but here it is July and you're wearing sweats. And you want to tell me there is no reason?"_

"_Uh…yeah. I guess so," he mumbled, his hand on the door knob._

_She opened the fridge for the carton of eggs and he thought he was in the clear until Mary Ann bounced down the stairs, her mouth yapping. "Hey, Mom, you should see Steve's legs. They're gross."_

"_Steven John McGarrett! I knew you were up to something. What have you done this time?" His mother set the eggs on the counter, crossed the kitchen, grabbed his shoulder, turned him around and pushed him toward the downstairs bathroom. "March. And when you get there, you've got three seconds to pull down those pants, or I will do it for you!"_

"_MOM!" _

"_Now, Mister. One…"_

_The pants came down. _

_She cleaned up the cuts on his legs, rather roughly, if he recalled, before she sat his butt on a hard kitchen chair and gave him the third degree. He realized at that time that even though his dad was the cop, his mom knew all the techniques to break her suspect. After pulling every last detail out of him, she added more insult to injury by calling Kapena's parents and ratted him out. But after all that, she had given him a hug and fed him breakfast._

_When his dad had gotten home, the lecture continued and Steve had felt lucky that his punishment was only being grounded for the remainder of July. At least he could swim as long as he stayed at the house. And it didn't really matter…Kapena was grounded, too. But he had learned a valuable lesson that day; he had a lot to learn when it came to covert ops. _

McGarrett turned down Portlock toward the ocean, slowing his drive through the well-to-do subdivision. Who would believe that something as spectacular as the Spitting Cave would have a subdivision setting on top of it? He was also surprised that Kane's sister lived here. The house lights were out at the address he was seeking, but the outside was well lit. As a precaution, he cut the truck lights. Four men were under the carport and he pulled the truck across the street, one house down. From his open window, he could hear enough to know they were in a heated argument.

"You don't know what you're doing, Brah," one pleaded.

"Oh, but you're wrong. I know exactly what I'm doing," another argued. "You should have listened to me." The next sound Steve heard was a quiet pop and one man fell back, the blood from the head shot spraying the side of the house. Steve instinctively reached for his gun, although he knew there was nothing he could do to help the victim. Nobody survived shots like that, not with the volume of blood and grey matter that now adorned the carport. Steve listened, watching to see what their next move would be. It went against every natural instinct he had not to arrest them for murder right that instant, but this was his link to the Guatemalan cartel. He needed more to get the heads of both groups. He could tell that these guys weren't too high up the food chain.

"Makani, you crazy? We weren't s'posed to off him."

"Shut up," the shooter hissed. "You heard what he called me. I had no choice. It's about honor, man."

"What do we do now?"

Makani apparently made all the decisions. "We get rid of the gun first – no evidence, right? I heard there were cliffs around here –let's toss the gun over and get the hell out of here. Kane's sister never saw us, so we're in the clear. We'll just tell Kapule that Kane was double crossing him. No worries."

McGarrett eased out of the truck, weapon in hand and silently crossed the street. Kapule. Now he had a name. And he needed to stop them before they got rid of the gun.

The trio turned to go to their car when they saw the stranger standing at the edge of the driveway, a gun trained on them.

"Five-0. Drop your weapon and get down on your knees."

The "stooges" as Steve had dubbed them didn't drop the gun. Or get on their knees. In fact, they turned and raced around the back of the house.

"Shit." He followed on foot as they ran between two houses and onto the next street, running toward the ocean. He grabbed his phone and hit speed dial as he ran.

"Need back up… "

The trio heard Steve closing in on them. Makani glanced over his shoulder as he ran and saw Steve not only gaining ground but also calling for backup on the phone. He needed to do something fast or they would get caught.

"No time," Steve continued yelling. "Get coordinates from my phone. One dead; I'm in pursu-"

Makani decided in a split second to go on the offensive. He quickly spun around and fired on Steve.

McGarrett saw Makani turn around, preparing to shoot. He dropped his cell phone to aim and quickly returned fire. Makani dropped where he stood.

The other two glanced back when they heard the gunfire, but kept running between more houses and then crossed another street in their quest to get away. Steve slowed next to the downed man and kicked the gun out of his reach before realizing that Makani wouldn't have any need for it. He then took off after the others.

The men ran to the end of dead-end street and continued until they reached the rocks at the edge of the cliff. Realizing they had boxed themselves in, they turned, ready to fight their pursuer. Both men were winded and were surprised to see that Steve hadn't even broken a sweat and had his weapon steadily trained on them.

"I think you heard the first time, I'm Five-0." He motioned downward. "Now…down on the ground, hands behind your head."

Guatemala looked at his friend. "What do you think, Paulo? Can we take him?"

Paulo grinned, then sneered at McGarrett, bragging, "You got nothing on us."

"I've got you as accessories to murder. Down. Now," he growled.

They glanced at each other, making the motions to drop to their knees. Steve didn't relax his grip, not trusting either of them to obey an order. His instincts were justified when the Hispanic man produced a jagged-edged knife held tight in his grip. They both rushed toward him, ready to fight. He shot Guatemala in the kneecap and the man went down screaming, his blade useless with both his hands wrapped around his leg.

The second shot went wide when Paulo hit him in the stomach, shoulder first. They went down, McGarrett still with the gun. He brought it down on the side of the other man's head, but Paulo twisted and the blow was a glancing one. Steve flipped him but was matched move for move and he realized that this opponent had combat training. In his second attempt to use the gun, the weapon was kicked from his grip. The fighting landed them closer to the edge before the SEAL realized where they were.

"Hey, Man, give it up. We're not going over the edge."

"Scared?" Paulo snickered.

"Of what's down there? Hell, yeah." Steve hit him solidly with his body and twisted again, attempting to push him further inland. He saw his gun on the ground and dove for it but landed short by a scissor kick from his rival. He tried again and was kicked in the kidney, at the same time seeing his weapon slip over the side of the cliff.

He attempted reasoning once again while landing on top of his challenger. "You don't want to hit that water, man." He punched Paulo in the face, and then followed with his elbow. McGarrett felt the fight go out of the man and lessened his grip, still holding him in place with a knee to his stomach. Before he could stand, Paulo flipped and they both slid to the edge of the cliff, giving Paulo his first glance at what was truly below them.

"Holy shit," the man screamed, scrambling for purchase on the rocks.

McGarrett tried to stop their slide, remembering the area and knowing that at their location they would go straight off the cliff and into the ocean, right into the opening for Spitting Cave. Steve had been a life-long fan of the ocean, but he had jumped in this location once, and that was enough to last a lifetime.

Paulo panicked and gripped McGarrett tightly, twisting his body to try and get his legs onto the rocks. With one last slide, both men went over the edge.

Steve knew this was trouble, the water quickly rushing to meet them. Paulo had let go and Steve twisted his own body to land feet first into the deep water. He heard a sickening splat nearby right before he hit the ocean, the momentum of his body pushing him deep into the water. His SEAL reflexes took over and after the long descent, he began coming back up. His head cleared the wave and he took in a breath, hastily trying to figure out his location and search for Paulo.

McGarrett realized he was at the entrance of the cave and he tried to swim away, remembering how the current had pulled both Kapena and him under years ago. Before he could move, the forceful spray from the cave spewed out, knocking him back underwater. The second time he surfaced, a wave hit him full in the chest, pushing him into the entrance of the cave. The rock wall was slick when he tried to grip it, and the water was churning. He anticipated being thrust from the cave by the force of water, but was pushed farther back inside by another wave, this one stronger than the others. His cheek stung from being scraped by rock and he hit the cave wall with a thud. He tried to push back with his feet, but the force of the water hit him full in the face and his head once again connected with the rocky surface.

He didn't feel the next wave.

~~~H50~~~


	3. Chapter 2

_**I have a lot of housekeeping to do at the beginning of this chapter, so please bear with me. First, I am so sorry for posting the prologue three times. I was trying to get chapter 1 in the document manager, and I thought I had another step before it actually went into the document. Learned the hard way after the second time…**_

_**Secondly, thank you so much for all the comments on this story. I truly appreciate it and I hope this chapter lives up to your expectations.**_

_**Third, sorry for the delay in getting this in here. I was out of town this weekend and had it with me on the handy-dandy flash drive, but the computer at the hotel was constantly in use while I was there.**_

_**And fourth…**_

_**Thank you to Sockie**_

_**For patient she is with me**_

_**Haikus on my brain.**_

_**Yes, I know that is very sad…**_

_**Chapter 2**_

The silver Camaro raced through the empty streets of Oahu, red and blue lights flashing. Instinct screamed at Danny to use the siren, but since traffic was nearly non-existent and some of suburbia was already asleep, he quelled the urge. He had called HPD instructing them to track Steve's phone. A second call went to Chin, who was to get Kono and meet him at the address Steve had gotten from Narcotics.

Danny turned onto Portlock and saw numerous flashing lights farther down the street. He pulled in behind them and jumped from his car, his badge in his hand.

"Detective." One of the cops waved him over.

"What have you got?" Danny asked, not wasting time on small talk.

"One down. ID says it is Akamu Kane. Neighbors heard an argument, then thought they heard a shot, but weren't positive. When they looked out the window they saw the two vehicles out front, but didn't see anyone. Thought they heard something out back though."

"Check both vehicles. The truck is McGarrett's."

"What's he doing here?"

"We had a lead that Kane was here and Steve came by to check it out. We had a warrant ready to bust him in the morning."

"Don't think you need that warrant. He's a mess."

Kono and Chin reached the officers, Chin interrupting them. "Got the coordinates for Steve's phone. It's nearby, down by the point, a couple blocks over."

"Do we walk or drive?" Williams asked, then paused when the officer answered his two-way radio.

"Roger that." He turned back toward them. "We've got another body." He pointed toward the back of the house. "Looks like they went this way."

"Let's go," Danny told his team before heading to his car for his flashlight. He waited for Chin and Kono to gather their gear before they took off behind the house. "Hey!" He got the sergeant's attention, then pointed to the people standing in their driveways. "Talk to everyone – see if they've seen or heard anything suspicious before tonight."

"Got it."

They jogged between the houses onto the next street where another uniform waited for them. "This way," he told them. "No ID, shot once in the chest. We have his weapon and I'm guessing by the caliber, it's the one that shot the guy at the house."

"When Steve called, he said there was 'one down', but then I heard shots and then nothing else, so I'm assuming he dropped his phone. It should be around here.

"The phone signal is here...very close," Chin told them, checking his GPS.

Kono reached for her cell phone and hit the button for McGarrett's number. "Listen," she told the others as she held up her hand for silence. The phone began ringing and they found it on the ground, beneath a bush, several feet away from the second dead body.

"Okay, two dead, two missing and still no McGarrett. Which way from here?" Danny asked, moving the flashlight around the area, searching for direction. The ground had been disturbed, but they couldn't tell if it was by HPD or the perps.

"Hey!" They turned toward the sound, seeing a couple on their deck. "Not sure what's going on, but they ran through our yard and down our drive way, heading toward the cliffs."

"Thanks!" Chin told them as they continued through the subdivision.

"Over here!" a uniform shouted, shining his flashlight and holding his weapon on a figure trying to hide behind a park bench.

"Finally," Danny muttered.

"Hey, don't shoot, man. The big dude already shot me and I ain't done nothin'."

"Well, who do we have here?" Williams asked.

"Hey, I need a doctor, man. That crazy guy shot me for no reason."

"Yeah, that's my boy, all right," Danny replied, looking around the area. "So, what are you doing out here…for no reason? Huh?"

"Nothing. Me and some friends were just, you know, like walking around out here and this guy got outta his truck carrying a gun and started to chase us. I don't know, thought he was gonna mug us or something, but then he shot me."

"And where are your friends now? They just leave you out here?"

"No, Crazy had done killed Makani before he started chasing us. Man, he had to be high on something. He was like a wild man."

Chin glanced at Danny, while asking, "And where is this crazy man now?"

"He and Paulo started fighting. Don't know where they are. Come on, man, I'm hurtin' here and I'm bleedin' real bad. I need a doctor."

"Let me ask you another question," Danny began. "Did this crazy, wild man say anything to you?"

"Nothin'. No, wait, he said he was like 'five or fifty or somethin'. I swear he wasn't making sense. Crazy, just like I said."

"Well, let me explain what he was talking about, Sport," Williams told him, kneeling on the ground to make eye contact. "I'm guessing he said something like this, 'Five-0; you're under arrest'. Right? Maybe something like that?"

"Uh, no, he didn't say nothin' about arresting us. What's Five-0?"

"Five-0 is who we are. And the wild man you described is not only our commander, he's my partner, and as for you, my little friend, _**you**_ are in a shit-load of trouble." Danny put his left hand above the perp's knee, pressed the leg onto the ground and squeezed. "Now tell me where he is."

The man screamed, fighting to get Danny off his injured leg. "I told you, man, I don't know. Come on, get off me. You can't do this."

"What?" Williams asked, pressing harder. "I can't do this? Hmm…think I can. Now you want to change your story?"

"Stop it, please. OK, OK, Paulo and the guy were fighting and then they were just gone. Really man, I don't know where. I was hurtin' too much to care."

Chin turned and raced toward the edge of the cliff, Kono on his heels.

"What?" Danny shouted, turning to see them racing away. "Book him," he yelled at the officer before following the others.

Chin was running along the edge of the cliff, shining his light downward. Kono was doing the same, heading in the other direction.

Danny ran over and stopped, looking over the edge of the cliff, shining his own light down. "What the hell?" he remarked in surprise when he saw just how far it was down to the water. He quickly jumped away from the edge and looked at Chin and Kono's frantic movements. "No, no, no, wait. You don't think—"

"Man, I hope not," Chin replied, shaking his head, his voice filled with concern. "If he did, we've got a problem, Danny. This area is dangerous in the daytime but at night, it's a death pit. People dive here all the time, but you have to know the water. These rocks have killed a lot of people who don't know what they're doing."

"But Steve's a diver. He should be—"

"Listen, Brah," Chin laid it out for him. "Down below us is Spitting Cave. _**Way**_ down below. If you don't know where to jump, you hit the rocks. If you do know what you're doing, you still need to be careful. The waves crash into the cave where the water churns around, building up its force before the cave spits the water back out into the ocean. The intensity is brutal."

Kono stared into the black water beneath them. "And it doesn't matter if you are professional or amateur, you can still get into serious trouble." She looked at Danny and added, "Nobody should mess around here."

They waved the light from their flashlights along the rocks, trying to pick up any sign of a struggle or evidence of McGarrett.

"Wait, Kono!" Danny moved his flashlight over the spot she had just moved from.

"What?" She brought her light back toward his.

"Look, wait…" he searched. "There," he pointed, spotting what he had seen earlier. On one of the ledges, a few feet beneath them, they saw a familiar firearm.

"Is that-?" Kono began.

"Yeah, it's Steve's," Danny finished for her. "Shit," he breathed the word on an exhale. "What the hell has he gotten himself into?"

Chin kicked off his shoes and handed his flashlight to Danny. "I'll get the piece."

"Cuz, no way," Kono argued.

"I've been up here before. Just keep the lights shining down and I'll be able to pick my steps. This is the easy part of the cliff."

"You sure, man?" Danny asked.

"Positive. Be right back."

True to his word, Chin managed to find easy footholds, retrieved the weapon and was soon back on the surface, checking the clip. "Looks like three empty."

"Well," Danny began. "We know he was here." He turned his flashlight back down and watched the water crashing and spraying onto the cliff. "Now all we have to do is find him."

Chin turned and shouted for one of the officers. "Hey, get Fire and Rescue on the line. Tell them we need two boats to pick us up at Kokee Beach. ASAP.

"Roger."

"Come on," Chin ordered. "We're hitching a ride and going down there."

~~~H50~~~


	4. Chapter 3

**_Sorry, I know this is short, but it is all of the next chapter._**

_**Chapter 3**_

Steve awoke abruptly, coughing and spluttering from a mouth and nose full of salt water. He jerked, opening his eyes, only to see blackness staring back at him.

The coughing subsided and he wiped his face, raising up, trying to figure out where he was…and why. He felt the slick rock wall to his right side and realized he was in the cave. Memory rushed back – the drug runners, the shots, the fight…and the fall. He was assessing his body when he realized he couldn't move his right leg. Holding his breath underwater was almost as natural to him as breathing and he went under, running both hands over his leg, searching for the problem. Just above the ankle, his leg was twisted and lodged in a crevasse. He braced his other foot against the rock for leverage and pulled. Nothing. He tried to get his fingers between the fissure and his foot. No luck there, either. His foot was stuck tight. And not budging. He sat back up, coughing against another wave, his hand reflexively holding his head when the cough sent spikes of pain into his skull.

His back was against a wall, which curved around to his right. To his left was open water swirling around him. The waves were continuous, but he had been trained to breathe through them. SEAL prep had taught him to handle cold water submersion and if need be, he could hold his breath for close to two minutes at a time. Steve pressed a button on his watch and the face lit, but he had to squint through blurred vision to see that it was after eleven.

"Great," he mumbled, spitting out the water that sloshed into his mouth. He wished he at least had a flashlight to see what was around him. Once his eyes were accustomed to the darkness, he could see the cave's opening, the moon creating a shimmer on the water at its entrance.

The water on his left began to churn faster, the movement sucking his body away from the wall. He would have gladly flowed with it but his foot was adamant in the fact that it wasn't leaving anytime soon. The water whipped itself into a frenzy, then wildly spit forth out the dark hole into the ocean beyond. The current pulled him forward, as far as his trapped leg would allow, but quickly thereafter, the next wave slammed him forcefully back into the rock. White hot pain coursed upward through his leg, setting itself up as competition with his aching shoulders and head.

_Damn it, that hurt_, he thought after red and white pinpricks of light faded from his sight and he could open his eyes again without thinking he would pass out. _You're in a shit-load of trouble._ McGarrett realized just how dangerous his predicament was and knew that he wasn't getting out without help. He had lived around the ocean most of his life and didn't need water tables or news reports to know that the tide was coming in. Quickly. And if he thought he was in trouble now, he guessed high tide would be loads of fun.

It didn't help that he knew his team was out there someplace, but they had no clue he was here…and not coming out anytime soon. He could hear Danny yelling 'I told you so' somewhere in the long rant that was in his head. _Buddy, wish I could tell you that you were right. _

Something brushed against his body and he jerked backward in surprise, once again smacking his aching head against the rock. He reached out, feeling around him and came in contact with a hand. The hand was connected to a body which was face down in the water. And then he remembered Paulo. And if memory served correctly, he had heard Paulo hit the rocks a second before he went under the water.

"Sorry, Buddy. Room for one only. And since this is all your fault, you're going to go out on the next wave."

The first of many shivers racked his body and he knew that things would only continue to go downhill from that point on.

~~~H50~~~


	5. Chapter 4

One thing I have neglected to mention is that the Spitting Cave is real. If you wish, you can either Bing! or Google it and see photos. It is pretty awesome!

_**Chapter 4**_

The two rescue boats cast eerie lights darting across the black waters near Spitting Cave. The overcast night didn't help in the search, but several slow passes around the point were made, the chief following the water's current.

Kono, Chin and Danny were on board the lead rescue boat, their eyes stinging from their unwavering search into the night. They wore rain gear because of the spray from the cave, ducking every time the water spewed forth.

Danny held tightly to the boat's railing, shining his light into the cave's opening after one such arc of water. "How about in there?" he asked, nodding his head toward the dark hole.

Chief Kahele shook his head and uttered a wry chuckle. "Trust me, I've lived on this island my entire life and nothing has ever come out of that cave alive." He waved his hand around, pointing to the cliffs. "People look at how pretty it is around here, but they have no clue how deadly this island can really be."

"So," Danny began. "What you're saying is 'no chance in hell', right?"

"That about sums it up, Son."

Kono moved next to Williams and placed her hand around his upper arm, leaning in close. "Danny, what do we do next?" she asked, her voice quiet. "He's not here."

"I probably don't have to tell you this," one of the rescue members offered, overhearing their conversation. "And I know you don't want to hear it, but most time, we find the bodies down the coast a ways. It could take a couple days though."

Danny pinched the bridge of his nose with the fingers of his left hand. "I'm not having this conversation. Steve is a SEAL. If he went off that cliff, he could survive. I know it. We need to look some more."

"I agree with Danny," Chin said. "It isn't time to give up yet."

The Chief nodded, but pointed out, "You realize it's after midnight. If your man has been in the water since shortly after nine, SEAL or not, he's going to be in some trouble. And the tide is coming in."

"I know," Chin replied, looking into Danny and Kono's eyes. "That's why we have to find him."

They had passed the cave once more when it spit forth its cascade of water. Danny watched the action, his flashlight following the arc of water.

"Wait! I saw something."

The Chief turned. "Where?"

"I saw it too," Kono added. "Over there." She pointed with her flashlight. "See? There it is."

The second boat was closer and turned in the direction she pointed. The crew yelled out, "Got a body."

"Get us over there," Danny ordered the chief. "Now." He took a deep breath and braced himself against the railing, gearing himself up for what they may find.

By the time their boat made the turn and drew up next to the other vessel, the body was lying on the deck.

Danny took one glance and then quickly looked away from the mangled body. He blew out his breath before shaking his head. "It's not him. Man…" He took another breath, refusing to look back at the body. "That's messy. But it's not Steve."

Kono reached out and squeezed his hand, looking a bit shaky herself. "Ho'omaika'i," she breathed.

"What's that mean?" Williams asked.

"It means 'I have a grateful heart'," she replied.

He gave her a slight smile. "Yeah, me, too."

"But, Danny, where is he?" Kono asked.

Danny turned around, grabbing hold of the boat rail when he nearly lost his balance. "Okay, you said nothing was in the cave." He pointed to the body on the other boat, continuing, "_**He**_ just came outta there. We need to check inside."

"Not going to happen," Kahele argued. "I know you want this guy—"

"This 'guy' has a name. Lieutenant Commander McGarrett," Danny yelled at him.

"McGarrett," the chief amended. "I know you want him to be alive and well. But if he was ever in that cave, he's going to look just like him. And unfortunately, be just as dead."

"You listen to me," Williams argued, walking across the rolling deck to stand face to face with the other man. His finger hit the larger man in the chest. "Steve is a SEAL. And a damned good one. I'm telling you, if anyone can make it, it's him."

The chief stared into Danny's eyes and regretfully replied, "And I'm telling you that no one can. Furthermore, I'm not risking my crew to send them into that cave in the dead of night."

"You've got spotlights! And your damn boat says 'Fire and Rescue' on the side of it." Williams used both hands, pushing his wind-blown hair out of his face. "Call me crazy, but I think we could use a rescue right about now."

"Listen to me!" Kahele now used his finger, pointing toward Danny. "At night, this is a suicide mission, and I am not risking anyone on my crew for a dead man. Now, we will continue to look along the coast, but the cave is off limits. If he was in there, he would have come out, too. The spit would make sure of that. I'm sorry, Detective. But this is my boat; my rules. I'm sorry you disagree." Without waiting for further argument, he turned and walked toward the wheel.

Danny clenched his fists together, breathing heavily while trying to control his anger. He could see and feel the satisfaction of his fist landing on the other man's jaw and he needed that release. But his rational side knew that decking the chief would do nothing to help Steve. And Danny held on to that one strand of rationality.

He turned and gripped the railing with both hands, staring into the blackness of the cave, searching for something he couldn't see.

~~H50~~

Danny hadn't moved from the railing, staring into the water, when he felt Kono at his side once again.

"Chin's got a plan," she whispered, "but he needs our help."

Williams glanced at the chief who was engrossed in a conversation with a crew member. He and Kono moved toward the stern, facing the water and not looking at Chin who was seated in the rear of the boat.

"I've threaded the life rope through the belt loops in the back of my jeans," he whispered, slipping his shoes from his feet. "I'm going in to check out the cave."

Danny looked at his friend with gratitude. "That's pretty dangerous."

Chin nodded. "I know it is. But we have to make sure he's not in there. If he's there, we know what we're up against. If not, we'll have to think of a Plan B."

"How are you going to do it," Kono asked.

"That's where I need your help. Get them to stop the boat. And make them keep it stationary. I may need your help in pulling me back in."

"We can do that," Danny agreed. "You sure about this? And trust me, if I knew what I was doing, I would be in there with you."

"I know you would. I've just got a feeling that won't let me go. We've got to know for sure."

"Yeah, I've got that same feeling," Danny agreed.

"After we pass by the cave this next time, I want to make the move. It's now or never."

"I'll get them to stop," Kono assured them.

"One more thing," Chin requested. "Don't let them pull me out until you feel a tug on the rope, got it? I'll let you know when I'm ready."

"Be careful," Kono told him.

"You know me, Cuz." He gave her a half smile. "Always."

A minute later, at Chin's nod, Kono moved to the opposite side of the boat, and then shouted, "There! Stop. I think I saw something. Over here."

The boat stopped from its slow trek through the dark water. The chief turned the spotlight in the direction she pointed.

"Where? I don't see any—" He turned to glance at them. "Where the hell's Kelly?"

"He's doing your job," Danny replied, his sidearm in his hand, held toward the deck. "Now, please, let's do this the easy way. You," he motioned to the crew, "will drop anchor right here. Once Chin comes back—"

"You mean, _**if**_ he comes back—"

"As I said, _**once**_ Chin comes back, and we know if Steve is in there or not, we decide what to do. If he's not inside, then you can write me up, have me arrested, anything you want, I don't care. But until then, we wait."

The crew looked to Kahele for approval. He nodded in their direction, and then walked to the rail to stand next to Danny. "I've heard a lot about Five-0 and the good work you've done in the short time the team has been established. But you guys really are nuts, aren't you?"

Danny shrugged, putting his weapon back into the holster. "Maybe. Tell me - how does this work?" He waved his hand toward the crew who were lowering the anchor. "I mean, do you have a partner?"

The chief hesitated before replying. "No partner. I have a good crew that I rely on. One who knows how to follow orders."

"Pity," Williams replied quietly. "Because if you had a partner, then you would know some of what we're feeling right now."

"How long have you been on this island, Haole?"

"About eighteen months."

"Then you don't remember the storm we had back in '08. It came up quick and deadly. Lots of people were caught out in it; some made it back and some didn't. But there was this one private boat that was out, partying. They didn't listen to the warnings and got caught trying to make it back to shore. Six people on board. We made the decision to try and get them before they were thrown into the cliffs. It was another suicide mission." He paused, then added, "I made the call."

He looked away, staring at the cliffs, playing the scene over in his mind. "By the time we made it to them, they were all gone but I lost two good men on the cliffs that night. A third one will be paralyzed for the rest of his life."

He sighed and turned back to face Danny. "I get it that you don't like or understand my position on this. But you don't have the right to lecture me about Ohana."

_**~~~H50~~~**_


	6. Chapter 5

_**Chapter 5**_

Chin swam near the cave opening and waited for the waves to launch him inside. Once that was accomplished, he turned on his flashlight and shined it around the cave walls.

Nothing.

He had been so sure. His gut had told him so.

He tread water as the tide began to recede, shining his light over the walls once again. And then he saw the huddled shape against the rock wall to his left.

"Steve!"

He began to swim, waiting once again for the water movement to help him reach his destination. He reached the other man's side and grasped the cold shoulder.

Chin received no response from his touch. He lifted McGarrett's head, sliding his fingers down his neck, searching for a pulse. His face was pale, his lips blue. When the waves came in and lapped the back of the cave, the water covered his face; as water receded, the cuts on his cheek and chin oozed blood, only to be washed away again.

"Boss? Come on, wake up." Chin touched the other side of Steve's neck, searching for any sign of life.

Another wave hit them and when this one receded, McGarrett choked out a cough, his entire body shivering with the cold.

"Steve, wake up!" He shone the flashlight in his face and the bloodshot eyes squeezed tightly shut. "Can you hear me?"

McGarrett rolled his head in the direction of the voice while another wave came, submerging them both. "Chin," he whispered after spitting water out of his mouth.

"I'm here," he replied while running his hands over the shivering body, using the flashlight to look for injuries.

"What's got you stuck in here?"

"How'd you find-"

"We've been searching all night." He ran his hand down the leg, quickly realizing something wasn't right with the limb.

"Be right back," he told McGarrett. "Gotta see what we're dealing with." Chin dove under, using the flashlight to see the injured leg. He came back up and waited for the latest wave to ebb.

"Get out of here, Chin," McGarrett ordered, his voice raw. " 'm stuck. "

"Hey, we're gonna get you out of here, Brah. Got that?"

"How?" he tried to grin, but his lips were cracked from the saltwater. "Really don't wanna cut off my leg."

"I'm not planning on it," Kelly assured him. "Let me check out these cuts," he warned before shining the light on his face once again. "Are you hurt anywhere else?" Chin managed to ride the wave, something McGarrett couldn't do without leverage to ride it out. He began coughing, and then groaned, reaching a shaky arm up to his head.

"Headache."

Chin wrapped the flashlight's cord around McGarrett's wrist. "Can you hold onto that for a sec?" He gently moved Steve's head forward, using his fingers to feel the break in the skin along the back of his skull. "That's a pretty nasty gash."

"Hurts."

"I know it does."

The water began churning and Chin had to fight to keep from drifting.

"Water's gonna spit again," Steve warned him. "Get… outta here."

Chin moved closer, taking the flashlight once again. He wrapped both legs around McGarrett's free ankle and circled his arm around the other man's waist. "Not getting rid of me that easily."

"Don't say I did-didn't… warn you." He had been shaking the entire time, but this time he nearly convulsed from shivering so hard. When the spray of water propelled outward, they were tugged along with it until Steve's leg stopped their movement. Chin quickly shone the flashlight on the other man's back, seeing the numerous rips and tears in the shirt. The wave pushed them backward and Steve groaned when he hit the wall once again.

"Chin... Tide's moving in. You gotta go. It-it'll be OK."

"I'll get out of here and bring in help, but let me do something first." He anchored himself once again and took off his own shirt. Using his teeth, he ripped it and tore off a strip around the bottom. They rode another thrust of water out of the cave and before Steve was thrown back against the wall, Chin moved in behind him. He wrapped the cloth around his head like a sweatband and tied it off on the side. "I can't do anything for your back, but maybe that will cushion that hard head of yours and help stop the bleeding."

"Thanks. Bet…bet Danny's pissed…"

Chin grinned at him. "Hey! When is he not pissed at you? Can you keep up breathing through the water? You using your training like a good little SEAL?"

Steve gave a ghost of a smile. "Trying. 's'hard. Keep choking and taking…in water."

"The key is to keep trying, Boss. We're getting you out of here."

"If you…say so."

Chin grasped the other man's face with his hand and turned him so their faces were inches apart. "I do say so. But you've got to promise you won't give in."

He was once again submerged under the wave and when it receded, the blue eyes remained closed.

Chin squeezed his jaw once again between his thumb and fingers. "Steve! Come on, Brah, tell me you won't give up."

The tide was rising rapidly, and Chin knew he had to get help in there quickly, but he had to know McGarrett was going to fight. Finally he heard the quiet, choking promise.

"I'll try, Chin. Hurry."

"I will, I swear. I'm bringing in the experts, so just be patient a while longer. Here, keep the light."

"Don't…need. Probably drop it."

Chin grasped his arm. "We'll be back, OK? Remember, you promised."

"Yeah."

"Stay with me, Brah."

" 'K."

With a final squeeze of his arm, Chin rode the wave out.

The blue eyes slid closed. "Aloha, Chin."

~~~H50~~~


	7. Chapter 6

**_I just want to say thank you to everyone who is reading this story and commenting on it. I am trying to reply to each one of you, but I know I have missed some. we are a little over half way done, but thankfully the last two chapters are written and just being tweeked._**

_**Chapter 6**_

"It's been almost fifteen minutes," Chief Kahele told the two worried team members. Danny had a death grip on the railing and Kono held the anchored end of Chin's life rope in her hands.

"This is a good sign, Brah," Kono told him. "Chin didn't immediately come back out. I think he found him."

"I hope for your sake, and his, that you're right," the chief replied.

The spotlights were all focused on the cave. They spotted Kelly the same moment Kono felt the tug on the rope. Danny and Kono reeled him in with the chief's help.

Chin managed to tell them, "He's alive," while they pulled him over the side of the boat. He stood on the deck, hands on his knees, heaving in gulps of air. It was all Danny could do to be quiet and not push him. Finally, Chin made eye contact with his fellow detective.

"He's in big trouble." He then turned to the chief. "What kind of equipment do you have? His leg is wedged into a crevasse just above his boot. The leg is swollen and cut up, but I couldn't really get a good look. There is a jagged tear in his pants, but I don't know how much blood he has lost.

"Is he conscious?" Danny asked.

"Barely. Keeps slipping. He's been breathing through the waves, but we need to work fast. The tide is coming in quickly and he can't last much longer. Won't be long before he's totally submerged. Add to that, he's hypothermic, got a head injury and keeps getting slammed against a jagged rock every time the water spits out of the cave."

Williams turned to the chief. "OK, what you do need? And how quickly can you get it here?"

Kahele looked at his watch. "High tide is less than an hour away. We have nothing to extract a limb – especially without doing further damage. Could you see his foot?"

Chin shook his head. "It was like a solid wall of rock with enough room to stuff his foot inside."

"So, for all you know,even if we could release him, he could bleed out. I know you don't like to hear this, but that cave is a death trap. Maybe in daylight we can do more. People, my order still stands. I'm not sending my crew in there when there's nothing we can do until day break."

"You ass hole!" Danny was in his face. "Your job is to rescue. We have a man who needs to be rescued…NOW. What more does it take?"

"The best we can do is take in oxygen. Make him as comfortable as we can. That will have to do until morning. I can have the equipment ready to go then."

"He won't be there in the morning!" Williams took out his phone and hit speed dial, glancing at the time as he did so. He hated to do it, but this was his only recourse.

"Ma'am, I'm so sorry," he began when the connection was made. "Steve's in big trouble and we need your help. McGarrett and a perp went off the cliff at this Spitting Rock…yeah, Cave. He's inside the cave, his leg is wedged into a crevasse and it's not coming out without help. Fire & Rescue," he glared at Kahele, "say they can't do a damn thing other than send in some oxygen until daylight. He paused a beat, "Yes, I'm on the boat."

Danny handed over the phone. "The governor would like to speak to you."

Warily, Kahele took the phone. "Ma'am." He listened quietly. "I understand, I do. But by the time we figure out what we need and get the equipment, it's not going to matter one way or another. I keep telling these people that we will be bringing out a body. Yes, yes ma'am, I will."

He handed the phone back to Danny. "She said we wait here until she calls you back. And I don't appreciate being put on the spot like that."

"Shut up." Danny turned and collapsed onto the seat next to Chin. Kono had found a blanket and placed it around her cousin's shoulders.

"Thanks, man," Danny quietly told him.

"Chin, can he make it?" Kono asked.

"He's doing his damnedest." Chin paused, then added, "Steve said he didn't want to cut off his leg—said it as a joke, but I can't see any other way to get him out of there. I meant it when I said he's in big trouble."

The phone rang before they could comment. "Governor?" Danny listened, then replied, "Yes, ma'am. And thank you." He turned to his team, a relieved grin on his face. "She's sending in the SEALs."

~~~H50~~~

As difficult as it was to pace on a boat, Danny was doing his best to wear a hole in the teak flooring. After very few minutes, they saw lights flashing in the dark sky, then heard the steady whap, whap of the chopper blades. They shielded their faces against the wind as the vehicle hovered overhead. Four figures in black neoprene, each carrying a pack descended zip lines; two landing on their boat, the other two in the water.

"Holy Shit!" Danny said.

"I second that," Kono commented.

The first one to land began questioning them while still unclipping his line. "What are we looking at?"

Chin quickly explained the situation inside the cave, yelling to be heard over the copter blades. All four SEAL members listened intently.

The leader turned to the two in the water. "Ramrod, you and Bogie go in and see what we need. Take an extra tank in with you. He's got to be struggling for air."

He turned back to them and held out his hand to Danny. "Detective Williams, I'm Commander Rick Donelson, but my friends call me 'Boomer'." And this is Buck. He's our medic."

"Danny," he amended as they shook hands. "And this is Chin and Kono. Thanks for getting here so quickly."

"The governor said it was McGarrett. He's one of us."

"You know him?"

"Yeah, me and the Dog have had a couple of trips together. And you know him, don't you, Buck? I gotta say, McGarrett's one of the good ones."

"The best," Danny agreed.

"He even has some stitches in him with my name on them," Buck told them.

Their conversation was interrupted by the one they called Ramrod. "Hey, Boomer! We need to set charges of C-4 and hopefully—"

"Whoa, C4?" Danny shouted. "You'll bring down that entire cliff on top of him."

"Small charges," Boomer promised, going through his pack. "This is my expertise. Don't worry, I've done it before," he promised, gathering his supplies and placing them in a smaller pack to take in with him.

Danny just stared at him. "You guys don't mess around, do you? Kinda sounds just like someone else I know."

Boomer grinned and winked, replying, "Hoo-yah. Buck, need any help with your gear?"

The medic turned to the boat's chief. "Give me your backboard and I'll need as many blankets as you've got, up here on deck, ready when we return." He went overboard with his supplies, then reached up to guide the long board into the water, setting his pack on top.

"Move the boats away from the shoreline, but close enough to get back here to pick us up when we come out." Boomer went over the side and gave them a mock salute. "Keep the lights on, Honey, we're bringing him home."

~~~H50~~~


	8. Chapter 7

_**Chapter 7**_

"It's been too long," Williams complained, his pacing beginning anew.

"They just got to the cave, Danny," Kono replied. "You've got to trust them. They seemed to know what they are doing. I mean, come on, they're SEALs."

He ran his hands through is spray-dampened hair. "Yeah, I trust them. But they just went into a cave carrying C-4. That doesn't bother you? The whole damn rock could come tumbling down. Man, here I thought Steve was crazy. Which he is, by the way. _'Nothing's going to happen, Danny. I'm just going to drive by,' he said._ Kono, that's what that moron told me." He shook his head. "I knew then. Don't ask me how I knew, but I just knew that I would get another call tonight. I'm gonna kill him. That's what I'm gonna do."

"Danny, listen to yourself," Chin said with a smile, letting the rant continue.

"Okay, I can't kill him, but I'm gonna maim him really bad." He took another turn around the boat.

"No, I know, I'll wait until he's better, and then I'm gonna hurt him. Make him worry. He won't know when to expect it."

"He asked me if you were pissed," Chin told him.

Williams stopped in mid-stride and pointed to the cave. "He's in there, injured, and he's worried that I'm mad at him? Crazy sonufabitch. What'd you tell 'im?"

Chin grinned. "I asked when you _**weren't**_ pissed at him."

Danny thought about it and then nodded. "Sounds about right." And again, he turned to look back at the cave. "Still taking too—"

They heard the muffled sound, and had to grab the boat's railings as the aftershock waves crashed against the sides. Water and rock dust spewed out of the cave before everything settled.

They waited silently, watching for any movement from inside the cave. It seemed an eternity before they saw the backboard pushed through the inky water by the four dark figures.

"Get us over there," Williams shouted to the crew. The boat began to gradually move towards the men in the water. Danny knew the boat could not go too fast; they did not want to risk sending small waves over Steve and the SEALs. But it still seemed like an eternity before they reached the men in the water. The engine was cut and Danny, Chin, and Kono moved into place. Their arms reached to hoist the board over when the SEALs raised it from the water. Danny elbowed Chief Kahele for position when the other man attempted to help. "Thanks, but my team can handle it," he remarked.

When the SEALs all got on deck, Steve's team members stepped back, allowing them to do their job. They worked in unison; two cutting off Steve's cargo pants so that Buck could examine the swollen leg. Boomer began carefully rubbing him down and wrapping him in blankets as the rest of his clothes came off, hoping to generate some heat for his cold body. One of the team held an oxygen mask over Steve's face, forcing air into his lungs. Through it all, McGarrett didn't make a move.

"Come on, Dog, show me what you've got," the commander ordered him while rubbing a towel across his chest. "At least start shivering."

"Why's that?" Danny asked quietly, kneeling on the deck near his partner's head.

"The shivering is good at this point. Believe it or not, it helps to generate body heat. He's been in there a long time. People don't think about the chance of hypothermia in Hawaii, but any prolonged time in water can be dangerous."

A few more moments on oxygen and Steve pulled in a ragged breath, using his good foot to arch off the board. His movements were sluggish and uncoordinated, but he pulled his arm from the blanket and tried to strike out, fighting to get free.

"McGarrett, stand down," Boomer ordered. "We're trying to help, so stop fighting."

An elbow hit him in the ribs. "We're going to have to keep him from hurting himself," the SEAL commander muttered, reaching to grab the flailing arm.

Danny reached in between two of the SEALs and placed his hand on Steve's shoulder. "Steven! Enough already. They're trying to help."

The fight went out of the injured man and he collapsed back down onto the board. Danny nodded and patted his shoulder. "That's good. Let them help you."

"I'm impressed, Detective. He listens to you and not a direct order."

Danny offered a sheepish grin. "You just have to let him know who's boss."

They quickly captured his arms and rewrapped him, mummy-like, leaving his injured leg out from the knee down. After the initial surge of panic, McGarrett was once again passive while Ramrod continued to push air into his lungs.

"Buck, tell us when we're good to go."

"Couple of minutes," he replied, placing gauze squares on Steve's leg, on top of ones that were already saturated with blood. "I'm leaving his boot on until we get to the hospital. Don't know what injuries there may be under there."

Danny's phone rang and he stood back to answer the call.

"Governor, I'm so sorry, I was going to call. They just got him out." He listened, then raised his head to look along the cliff above which was dotted with police, neighbors and TV camera crews. He waved at Jameson who was front and center. "They're getting him stable now but I'm not sure how we're getting him out of here."

Boomer overhead the conversation, then turned to Chief Kahele. "When we give the word, we need to get back around to Kokee Beach, so go ahead and pull anchor. Our chopper is waiting there."

"Governor, meet us at Kokee Beach," Danny told her. "We're headed there to meet the chopper." He paused, listening, and then asked Buck, "Can you take him to Queens? Her doctor is on staff there."

The medic thought a moment. "I'd feel better if we could get to Tripler, but it's her call. The Army Hospital has the best doc for near-drowning victims. McGarrett's got a lot of water in his lungs, so that's my first choice."

Danny relayed the message and ended the call. "Tripler it is. But she's sending her doc, too. Can't you make him cough up the water?"

"We're still trying to keep him breathing at this point. The water will come up on its own. I've gotta warn you, though. McGarrett's night isn't over by a long shot. It's going to get rough. Or rougher."

The two men looked at each other and then Danny nodded. He understood that things were bad. But he also knew that his partner was alive and trying to fight. And he also realized that the odds were a hell of a lot better now than they were an hour ago.

Danny met the governor when he got off the boat, his legs feeling wobbly from so many hours on the ocean.

"Both doctors will meet him at the hospital," she assured him.

Danny clasped his hands and held them to his chest. "Thank you for your help. I was ready to kill the captain of that boat."

She nodded. "I can understand that, but he really was within his boundaries. He knows this island and its pitfalls well. I know that doesn't help at a time like this, but he was doing his job."

"Well, you're right…doesn't help."

"Hey, Partner?" Boomer shouted. "You coming with? We might need you to ground him once again."

"Coming." He turned to jog off, then glanced back at her. "Thank you. I'll call."

"Don't bother. I'm meeting you there."

~~~H50~~~

Danny's expertise wasn't needed on the chopper. Nor in the emergency room upon arrival at the hospital. Or for the fourteen hours Steve spent in the ICU. Unfortunately Danny couldn't do a damn thing but wait.


	9. Chapter 8

_**Hello all. Just wanted to say once again, a huge thank you for the reviews for this story. Unfortunately, I have lost the ability to send comments back to you. When I try to send a note from the link in my email, it says "oops, you must be using an old link". Well, no, I'm using the link you just gave me! When I go to the review page on , I get a 404 error when I hit "reply". This is most frustrating! Please know that I do appreciate your comments.**_

_**There will be three chapters after this one. Turned out a bit longer than I had first thought. And I warn you, this one is full of smarm, so be forewarned!**_

_**Once again, thanks to Sockie for being the best beta ever. Your insight is invaluable and I truly appreciate it.**_

_Danny's expertise wasn't needed on the chopper. Nor in the emergency room upon arrival at the hospital. Or for the fourteen hours Steve spent in the ICU. Unfortunately Danny couldn't do a damn thing but wait._

Chapter 8

Danny Williams had been in many hospital waiting rooms. Unfortunately, most had been in the last few months while he had been on this pineapple-coconut-SPAM-infested island. But the room he was in at present topped them all in the despair department. If any place deserved one of those surprise TV makeovers, this was it. Danny decided the Army must have gotten the best possible government deal on the ick-green paint on the walls, and slathered it on liberally to blend in if someone threw up in there. The chairs were orange and purple, alternating rows of plastic designed to torture the bodies of anyone who sat there.

He was standing at the dingy window, staring into the darkness outside. The double panes were sealed with chicken wire in the middle. As if the wire would keep in anyone wanting to get out. Lord knew no one would fight their way to get _**in **_this place.

Danny leaned his head on the window trying to catalog the emotions coursing through him. First and foremost was fear. He had been scared shitless on the short chopper ride to the hospital and his fear hadn't abated once the hospital personnel rushed his partner through the forbidden double doors on the opposite side of the room. And that had been a couple hours ago. Since then, his mind had played out all kinds of scenarios…none of which helped his fear factor.

A second emotion was admiration. Admiration and awe for SEALs in general. He had always known that McGarrett was a 'No-way-in-hell-will-I-give-up' kind of guy. Steve always fought for his family, his team, when it came right down to it, for this entire island, and Danny had accepted that as part of who he was. He now realized that trait was instilled in the entire SEAL team. Those guys didn't know the meaning of giving up. Thank God they knew their stuff…

…_Danny raced to the chopper and was tugged in by one of the team. "Come on up, Partner. Park your ass in that seat and buckle in."_

_He stepped across the litter that held his partner and dropped into the bucket seat, watching how the SEAL team worked together on Steve. Watching and feeling useless, his presence unneeded._

_Quickly, the balloon mask was replaced with oxygen tapped from a tank in the chopper. Ramrod inserted a thermometer into Steve's ear, and waited for the beep. "Temp is 94.5," he called out as the chopper took flight from the parking lot. _

"_Damn you, Dog, you aren't gonna make this easy, are you?" Boomer commented._

"_How bad?" Danny asked._

"_Not good," Buck answered for him. "Let's get those warm blankets."_

_Buck attached EKG leads to Steve's chest, then quickly replaced the blankets with warmed ones, tucking the ends under him._

"_Not getting a pulse," Boomer yelled. _

"_Nothing?" The medic verified with his own check, his fingers on McGarrett's neck. "He's crashing," Buck announced, throwing back the blankets and reaching for the paddles to kick start McGarrett's heart. The four seals worked in a frenzy as Danny continued to watch their efforts._

"_Clear."_

_Danny flinched when Steve's body arched off the board before dropping back down with a dull thud. _

_Buck glanced at the monitor, then manually checked again for a pulse. "Come on, come on. Let's try again. Three hundred this time. Clear."_

_Danny swiped his hand through his hair before balling both fists. "Come on, Steve," he whispered, leaning in as closely as he could to his partner. "We got you outta there, don't do this." _

_His injured body dropped once more onto the board. They all held their breath when they saw the first blip on the screen. "Come on, Dog, keep it up." More blips followed and Buck tucked the blanket back around his patient. "Only easy day was yesterday, McGarrett. Remember that and keep your fight on." _

_Steve made a gagging noise and Buck asked for help in turning him. "Here it comes," he warned when McGarrett began throwing up frothy liquid. "Come on, get it out of there," he urged. "And get used to it – there's more where that came from."_

_Ramrod called to them, "Touchdown soon. Can you get him strapped back in?"_

"_Yeah, I think he's finished chucking for now."_

_Danny looked down at his right shoe. "Really, Steven? You just had to aim for my new loafers? What's next, my tie?"_

"_Hey, Partner, he didn't mean it," Boomer replied with a grin._

"_Wanna bet?" Williams replied as the chopper touched the pad._

_They unloaded their patient into the care of the hospital personnel who met them on the roof, Buck quickly filling them in on the treatment he had begun. Danny jumped down after them, followed by Boomer._

"_OK, Danny, we're going to split," Boomer began. "Need to get the chopper back, but I'll check in with you later. You'll take care of him, right?"_

"_Absolutely. And thanks." He turned to go, and then paused. "Hey? I understand your nickname – kind of obvious…and scary… because of the C4. But why is Steve named 'Smooth Dog'?"_

_Boomer grinned and shook his head. "Some things will remain classified for a long time, Partner. Hoo Yah!"_

_~~~H50~~~_

Danny felt a hand on his arm and a cup of coffee appeared in his line of vision. He glanced over and Governor Jameson held a container with two cups, offering one to him.

"Here you go," she said. "This is the good stuff."

"Thanks. Where did you find this?" he asked, accepting the paper cup. "Surely not here."

She smiled at him. "One of the perks of the job," she replied. "I have aides and they like to help."

Danny sipped the coffee and checked the clock on the wall once again. It was only fifteen minutes later than the last time he had checked. He glanced around the room; Chin and Kono were seated on one of the couches along the wall, her head on his shoulder, each holding a cup of "the good stuff". They were the only occupants except for the governor and her aide who was flipping through a tattered magazine.

"Why don't you sit down," Jameson urged, taking a close look at William's tired face.

He leaned back against the window. "I'm too fidgety," he admitted with a grin. "Sorry."

"Nothing to be sorry for," she replied, leaning on the wall next to him. "It's been a fidgety kind of night."

"Yeah. Wish they would tell us something." Glancing out the window for affirmation, he added, "It's almost sun up."

"I'm sure they'll be out as soon they can," she told him. Leaning in closer, she added, "Dr. Bassett knows I'm out here waiting and I think secretly he is afraid of me. He'll let me know something as soon as he can just so I'll get out of his hair."

Danny grinned. "He has no hair."

"See why he's afraid of me?" she replied with a smile. "Now come on – sit." She put her hand around Danny's wrist and tugged. "Come talk to me, Detective before I embarrass myself and fall asleep."

~~~H50~~~

It was nearing six before the double doors finally opened, two tired doctors emerging. Before the team and governor had a chance to get to their feet, the doctors motioned for them to stay seated and dropped into chairs across from them, Dr. Bassett apologizing, "Sorry, but it's been a long night."

"And?" Danny began, setting aside his half-full cup of cold coffee.

"I'm Dr. Elaine Palakiko, Chief of the E.R. here at Tripler". First thing I want to say is that you've got a fighter in there. He's surprised me several times tonight."

"OK, please don't take offense, doctor," Jameson stopped her. "But we're tired and we're cranky, so could we have the bottom line?" She looked to Dr. Bassett for help.

Williams turned to her, his hands waving in the air. "Thank you. My sentiments exactly."

Dr. Bassett smiled. "The staff here is outstanding in what they do, and trust me when I say that Dr. Palakiko and her staff saved Commander McGarrett's life tonight. In fact, a couple of times. He is stable for now, but the next few hours are still critical." He paused before giving them the answer to their questions. "While he is still pretty sick, he should make a full recovery, barring any complications."

"What complications?" Kono asked, leaning forward in her seat.

Dr. Palakiko answered. "Well, like he said, we aren't expecting any, but there could be infection from any number of parasites in the water, pneumonia or other lung diseases, or even kidney failure. In all honesty, the hypothermia probably saved his life by slowing down all his body functions, but we're still working to get his core temp back up to normal. The salt water in his lungs threw his electrolytes out of balance and we're trying to bring his body back on track, which isn't easy because he is still having bouts of vomiting. Blood pressure is still extremely low, too. Like I said, he's had a pretty rough night…and it isn't over yet."

"But, barring all these complications that you _**aren't**_ expecting, he's going to be OK?" Danny asked.

The doctors didn't immediately reply.

"What aren't you telling us?" Chin asked. "I saw his leg jammed into that crevasse. How bad is that?"

Bassett shook his head. "How the hell that foot was lodged in a rock is beyond me. The ankle was severely wrenched, but Ortho will be in shortly to review the X-rays. He does have a good pulse in it, so that's in his favor, considering he's lucky to have the limb still attached. When we left, they were just beginning to stitch up his leg and the other lacerations."

"How many stitches does he need?" Williams asked. "When I saw him, it looked like he was cut up pretty badly."

Palakiko nodded. "The leg will need several; they put four or five in his chin and I think eight in the back of his head. There were a few places on his back they were looking at, too. Honestly, for what he's been through, that's pretty remarkable."

"Has he been conscious through any of this?" Jameson asked.

Bassett hesitated, shook his head, and then replied, "Not really. He's been aware at times and was able to follow some commands, but he's not conscious enough to know what's going on. And that's probably a good thing for the time being. Once he is stabilized a bit more, we'll keep him comfortable with drugs."

"We want to see him," Jameson told him.

"Governor—"

"Doctor. I didn't sit here all night just to go home without knowing Steve is OK."

"Pat, we just told you he is doing as well as can be expected."

"Yes, Henry, I know you did." She nodded, adding, "But we still need to see him."

"Yes, we do," Danny said, staring Bassett in the eye. "That's not negotiable."

"I'll make you a deal," Jameson proposed. "Let us see him and I'll ensure that we all will leave for a while. If not, you'll have us plus my staff cluttering up your waiting room all day."

Bassett looked to Palakiko for agreement and shrugged before replying, "I'll offer a counterproposal. You see McGarrett as we're moving him to ICU and then you all," he waved at all four of them, "go home, go to bed, get cleaned up, hell, I don't care, go to work if you have to, but you don't show your faces here until at least six tonight."

"That's—" Danny began.

"Yes, that is-" the docor checked his watch, "almost a full 12 hours. No offense, but you folks look almost as bad as our patient. Go get some rest."

"You'll call if there's a problem?" Williams asked.

"Of course we will," Palakiko assured. "I'll be here monitoring him all day."

"So, we agree?" Jameson asked, looking from the doctors to the task force members, who nodded their agreement. "Then that's the deal," she agreed. "Let's go."

"Not so fast." Palakiko stood and stretched, smiling at them. "We'll send someone out to get you when we're ready to move him to ICU. I'm sure they're still cleaning him up." She hesitated, and then added, "And when you do see him, be prepared for the bruises. He's already black and blue over most of his body. Once he wakes up, we'll have him on a lot of joy juice to keep him comfortable."

"He's not going to go for that," Danny replied.

Palakiko shook her head and smiled at him. "I doubt he will complain…he's not going to be moving much in the next couple of days. His muscles won't allow it." The doctors turned to go. "I'll send someone to get you soon," she assured them.

~~~H50~~~

As promised, a nurse came to take them down the hallway a few minutes later. "The Commander is being moved up to ICU. If you will wait here by the elevator, you can see him here. We'll bring him through those doors," she pointed toward the back of the emergency room, turning to leave. She paused, adding, "Just don't be surprised by all the equipment. They've got him hooked up to a lot."

The team glanced at each other, unsure of what to expect. They heard the doors open and Dr. Bassett came into the hall and stood next to the governor, waiting with them.

Williams watched as the orderly and nurse pushed the gurney through the door and began rolling it towards the elevator. He took a deep breath and held it, trying to prepare himself for what he might see.

As they approached, Bassett looked at the Governor and Steve's team and said, "Remember, he's going to look rough. Like we said, it's been a long night."

The gurney rolled to a stop in front of the elevator. Danny stared at his partner and couldn't believe what he saw. Rough didn't even begin to cut it.

Steve was covered in blankets from the neck down; the only thing uncovered was his foot which was propped on a pillow. And they weren't kidding about Steve being black and blue. His cheek was swollen and sporting a cut held together by three white steri-strips that made the bruised area even more pronounced. Five neat, black stitches closed the laceration on his chin, more bruising extending from that cut upward to his jaw. A thick layer of gauze padding was layered on the back of his head, held in place with gauze wrapped around his skull. McGarrett's hair was standing in chaos and the ends were caked with salt residue from the water.

Danny's eyes traveled down the bed. Wires and tubes snaked out from beneath the blankets on all sides, connected to beeping machines or bags of fluid held on poles above. Williams thought his partner's injured leg had looked bad when they pulled him from the water. Now it was mottled black; the foot swollen to twice its normal size.

For once, Danny Williams was at a loss for anything to say. As they watched, Steve shivered in his sleep and they heard a painful moan over the sound of the oxygen being pumped through a mask.

"We are still using warming blankets to bring up his temperature," Bassett began. "The fluids have been warmed, too, so hopefully we can get him warmed up and stabilized before long."

"Is he breathing on his own?" Chin asked, pointing to the mask covering the lower half of McGarrett's face. "The mask looks odd."

Bassett nodded. "Once we got a lot of the water out of his lungs, he started breathing well on his own. The mask is sealed around his face and is delivering 100% oxygen."

"So…" Danny paused and swallowed. "How long before you see any improvement?"

The doctor shook his head. "That depends. It may be sometime later today, but more than likely, sometime tomorrow or the next day. I just can't answer that right now. All I can say is that we are hoping for the best."

"Doctor, I think we need to get the commander upstairs and settled into a bed," the nurse told him.

"I agree," Bassett replied. "I'll leave him in Palakiko's care today but I'll be back tonight to check in. We can update you further then. Remember, you gave your word that you would go home."

"And we will," Jameson assured him as the orderly pushed the button on the elevator. "Thank you."

"You'll call if there is any change?" Danny asked once again.

The nurse took the pen from behind her ear. "Give me your number and I'll note it on the chart," she told him. "I promise we will call you."

Danny left his number and the elevator doors opened.

Kono leaned down near Steve's ear and whispered, "Malama pono, Boss. We'll be back later."

~~~H50~~~

As earlier agreed, the 5-0 team met at the office at three that afternoon. Naps and showers had somewhat improved their dispositions although they were still running on coffee, adrenalin and fumes alone.

"So, did HPD learn anything from the guy who was popped in the knee?" Danny asked.

"His name's Carlos Mendez and he's talking," Chin told him. "Doesn't want to go to jail for something the others did. He's filled in a lot of the blanks with both groups, but so far, he hasn't given up the names of the leaders we're looking for. But I think it is a matter of time before he talks."

"How about I give it a go?" Danny asked with a grin.

Kono laughed. "He'll talk if he sees you walk into the same room with him. You were channeling McGarrett up there on that cliff. I was proud of you, Brah."

"Hey, Steve doesn't need to know about that. He would think I've been taking lessons from him or something. Is Mendez still at the hospital?"

"Yeah, he's at General. There are two guards on the door, and with that gimpy leg, he isn't going anywhere," Chin said. "But he's still whining about the crazy man who shot him," he added with a grin.

"I'll show him crazy," Danny vowed. "We'll swing by there before heading to see McGarrett this afternoon."

No sooner had he spoke than his phone rang.

"Williams."

"_Mr. Williams, This is Nurse Chiu at Tripler. Dr. Palakiko asked me to give you a call."_

"What's wrong?" Danny hit the speaker button on his phone and set it down on the smart table.

"_I am unaware of the problem, but she asked that you and your team come to the hospital as soon as possible."_

"And you can't tell me what's wrong?" He looked to the others, seeing shock in their eyes.

"_No, sir, I really don't know. Can I tell her you are on your way?"_

"Absolutely, of course. We'll be there in fifteen."

"Let's go," Chin walked to the door.

~~~H50~~~

The trio rushed to ICU and stopped at the nursing desk. "I'm Danny Williams. Dr. Palakiko called us about Steve McGarrett."

"Yes, Mr. Williams. Please come this way. Commander McGarrett is back in a private area in Room 6."

They followed her down the short hallway, trepidation building when Dr. Palakiko came out from behind a curtain to speak with them.

"I thought it would be best to talk to you here, rather than over the phone," she began. "But I told you I would call you if there was any change in the commander's condition."

"What happened?" Danny asked, his heart beating so loudly he was sure the doctor could hear it.

She shook her head. "Follow me," she requested.

~~~H50~~~


	10. Chapter 9

**_My usual couple of notes. Once again, thanks to all who gave a review of the last chapter. It warms my heart to know that you are still reading. _**

**_Secondly, this was completed before Monday's episode. After watching the finale, please note that the governor was written as the person I have respected throughout the season. Enough said on that subject!  
><em>**

_**Chapter 9 **_

Dr. Palakiko had just sat down in the break room for a late lunch when her phone beeped. Staring at her Cheez-its and Diet Coke, she sighed, putting the phone to her ear._ "Doctor, McGarrett in Room 6 is beginning to come around." _

"Already? Good for him. I'll be right there." She took a long sip of her drink then set it on the counter, hoping it would still be there when she returned. She knew the Cheez-its were a lost cause and would be up for grabs the minute she left the room.

Entering the ICU, she grabbed the medical chart and made her way to Room 6. "What do we have, Naila?"

The nurse had her hand on her patient's shoulder, rubbing it in slow circles. "He's trying to wake up. Getting a bit agitated, too."

Palakiko looked at the monitors next to the bed, and then performed her own check by placing her fingers on her patient's wrist to check his pulse the way she could always rely on. "That's better than an hour ago," she mumbled, making a notation in the chart. "OK, Commander, let's see what you've got." She set the chart on the bedside tray and leaned over to talk to her patient. "Commander McGarrett, can you hear me? Do you want to wake up? If so, you need to open those eyes for me."

She watched as he tried. The eye lids fluttered but could not open although his head turned in the direction of her voice. The doctor placed her hand on his forehead, trying to ground him and spoke to him again. "Commander, everything is fine. You're in the hospital. Just relax."

He shivered and she and the nurse pulled the blanket up closer around his neck. She saw his lips move beneath the mask. "Just a second," she told him, before unsnapping the strap holding the mask to his face. "There, that might feel better for a couple of minutes. Can you talk to me?"

"C-cold." To emphasize the point, he shivered once again.

She looked across the bed to the nurse. "Can you get another warm blanket for him, please?" Turning back to her patient, she spoke louder. "We're working to get you warmed up, Commander. Now, can you open your eyes?"

The eyelashes fluttered on his pale cheeks before finally opening half way.

"Good job," she praised, placing her hand back on his forehead. "Can you tell me your name?"

His eyes slid closed.

"No, come on, now, look at me. What's your name?"

He opened his eyes and stared at her once again. "Mc-McGarrett."

"Good. Do you know where you are?"

"Hos…pital?"

She reached for the oxygen mask and held it over his face. "That's right. You're at Tripler. I'm Dr. Palakiko and we met last night although I know you don't remember that." She left the mask where it was and raised up as the nurse returned. "And here is a warmed blanket for you." She quickly flipped back the one that covered him while the nurse replaced it with the warm one. They both tucked the new one around him.

"There, is that better?" she asked, watching as his head slowly nodded in appreciation.

Reaching into her pocket, she pulled out a penlight, turning it on. "I need to check your pupils, so just relax for me." She turned on the light and flicked it into his eye, not prepared for the reaction she received.

McGarrett squeezed his eyes tightly shut and jerked his head away, his groan turning into a gag. The doctor and nurse both grabbed for him. "Easy, easy. Sorry." She picked up the putrid pink emesis bowl while the nurse raised the head of the bed slightly. "Get it all out of there, OK?"

The nurse washed his face and cleaned him up when he was finished. His eyes were tightly shut and he was still shuddering beneath the blanket, looking altogether miserable. "Water?" he asked.

"Yes, you were in the water," the doctor replied. "But they got you out and you're going to be just fine."

"No. Thirs…thirsty." He turned again to the sound of her voice and opened his eyes.

"Oh…I'm sorry." She shook her head. "We'll get you some ice chips, but we're still trying to get your body's electrolytes back in balance. We can't give you any water just yet, OK?"

The look he gave her was almost her undoing. She gave him an apologetic smile. "Don't look at me that way. I'll get you some ice. Naila, could you hand me that cup and then check with the front desk? Pharmacy should have delivered the drugs by now."

Palakiko spooned out a couple of the chips and slid her hand behind his head to lift it so she could drop them in his mouth. "Is that good?"

He closed his eyes and didn't speak, savoring the wetness. And then he shivered once again.

"Maybe you don't really need the ice just yet, OK?"

The doctor reached the cord for the light above the bed and turned off the down lights that were shining on him.

"Commander, you have a concussion and I need to check your pupils. I made it darker in here and I want you to look down and not at me. I'll shine the light from above just to get a look." He did as she asked. "That's all; I'm done. Pupils are still a little sluggish, but better than last night. We'll give you something for the pain and you can go back to sleep." She saw the nurse return while replacing the mask on his face.

"Unh…" He shook his head.

"Be quiet…just rest. Let me fasten this and I'll push the drugs.

"Off. Need…talk."

She understood his words and removed the mask. "Just for a minute. What do you need to tell me?"

"Need…my team."

"They'll be back tonight. Dr. Bassett made them…and the governor, too…go home and get some rest."

"No…get team. Have to talk."

"Sorry, Commander," she smiled at him. "But I don't think you're ready for visitors. Don't worry, they'll be back later."

"Now." The wheezing increased as he got aggravated at her.

She tried to replace the mask and he twisted his head beneath it. "Phone. Gimme."

"No, you cannot use the phone."

"Are you…Army?"

"Captain Elaine Palakiko, at your service. Just got back from a tour of the 'Stan three weeks ago."

"Then I out…rank you. Get my team."

She laughed. "Really? You're pulling the rank card? If you weren't so sick, you'd realize you aren't in charge right now."

"Need…commanding officer."

"You need whose commanding officer? Mine?" she asked, amazed at his tenacity. She shook her head at him. "Nope, sorry, he's not going to help you out either."

McGarrett closed his eyes once again, panting to breathe.

"This will help you relax and help the pain," she assured him, uncapping a syringe.

He turned his head and once again opened his eyes to stare at her. "Please, listen. Need…my team. Ur-urgent. Not lying." He paused before adding another "please" for good measure.

She hesitated, seeing the determination in his pain-filled eyes and knew he had something important to tell his team. "OK," she told him, placing the cap back on the syringe and setting it down on the bedside table. "It's against my better judgment, but here's the deal. We'll try to call, but I won't promise anything. If we contact them, will you quit fighting me?"

"No drugs. Haf'ta talk to…Danny."

"It may be a while before they can get here. I'll give you—"

"NO! Pro—promise." He began gasping and she fastened the mask back down.

"Shh… That's it. No more talk. The deal is five minutes. _**If**_ we can get them. Naila, there is an emergency number for Detective Williams in the front of his chart. Can you have someone at the desk call him please?" She looked back down at her patient and saw the relief in his eyes before they slid shut in exhaustion.

~~~~ H50 ~~~~

_The trio rushed to ICU and stopped at the nursing desk. "I'm Danny Williams. Dr. Palakiko called us about Steve McGarrett."_

"_Yes, Mr. Williams. Please come this way. Commander McGarrett is back in a private area in Room 6."_

_They followed her down the short hallway, trepidation building when Dr. Palakiko came out from behind a curtain to speak with them._

"_I thought it would be best to talk to you here, rather than over the phone," she began. "But I told you I would call you if there was any change in the commander's condition."_

"_What happened?" Danny asked, his heart beating so loudly he was sure the doctor could hear it._

_She shook her head. "Follow me," she requested._

Dr. Palakiko held aside the curtain for them to enter the partitioned space. McGarrett looked about the same as he had that morning except the head of the bed had been slightly raised. All the beeps and blips on the monitors appeared to be making the same noises as earlier. The only change was that the bruising they had seen earlier in the day was now in Technicolor.

Danny turned to her for explanation, but she held up her hand before he spoke. Moving to the bed, she placed her hand on McGarrett's shoulder and gave it a slight squeeze. "Commander? Your team is here." She turned back to Danny, Chin and Kono and explained, "Someone refused pain meds until he had a chance to talk to you. He said it was important."

Palakiko turned back to her patient and watched as his blood-shot eyes opened to half-mast. Releasing the strap on the oxygen mask, she gently removed it, saying, "Our deal was five minutes, and not a second more." She stepped back from the bed to allow them to move closer. "I swear I don't know what it is with you people, because I never make deals with my patients, or their visitors."

Williams blew out a sigh of relief and ran one hand along the back of his neck as he stepped up to the bed. "All right, Rambo, what is so all-fire important that you're already outstaying your welcome here?" Danny leaned on the bed rail and continued, "If it were me, I'd take the drugs, no questions asked."

"Name," Steve began, slightly turning his head to look at his partner.

"What name?" Danny shook his head, letting McGarrett know he wasn't following.

His partner swallowed and tried again. "I got a name from one…one of the perps."

"Really?" Chin moved closer. "We have the guy you shot and he's not giving up anyone higher on the food chain. So give us some leverage, Boss. We need it to put these guys away."

"Kap—" His voice gave out and he tried to take in more air.

"Wait a second," the doctor stopped him. She reached for the mask and held it in place when he tried to struggle against her. "Don't fight me. Take it slow, breathe in and then I'll take it back off," she explained, not removing the mask until he was able to breathe without wheezing.

"Kapule," he told them. "Tha's all I know. Just get him." He closed his eyes, panting to breathe.

"Now will you take your medicine like a good boy?" Danny asked. He gave the doctor a questioning look. "Why didn't you just stick the drugs in the IV?"

She shook her head and glared at her patient who had the audacity to open his eyes and stare right back. "Why, you ask? Well, let's see…he pulled rank, he threatened to call my superior, and then he begged."

"Begging? Really, Steven."

She admitted, "Bottom line, I knew it had to be important because I know he's in pain." She nodded to the nurse who uncapped a syringe and inserted its contents into one of the IV tubes. "I kept my promise. Now that will ensure you'll get some rest."

"No, wait-"

"Too late," she replied, smiling at him while reaching again for the face mask. "Tell your friends goodnight."

He slightly shook his head before she managed to cover his mouth and nose with the apparatus once again. "I get five minutes."

"Then I'm watching the clock," she countered.

He turned his head to find Chin. "How? How'd you…get me out?" In addition to struggling to breathe, Steve was finding it hard to keep his eyes from closing.

Chin Ho grinned. "We had a lot of help. The governor called in the SEALs."

"Huh?" Sedative or not, he was again awake, eyes wide open in surprise.

"We met your friends, Boomer and Buck," Kono told him, grinning. "And a couple of others."

"Boom-? He looked to Danny. "That man," he paused for a breath. "is bat-shit crazy."

Williams nodded. "Yeah, he's a SEAL. Your point?"

"You let him…He blew up…cave? With my foot…stuck inside?"

The wheezing was to the point that the doctor replaced the mask without further complaint from her patient. "Time's up."

"Just a small underwater charge, Boss," Chin assured him. "No harm done to the rest of the area. And thankfully your foot is still attached."

They saw a small nod before his eyes finally slid closed.

Dr. Palakiko smoothed the covers over her patient's shoulder. "I think he's finally out."

"How is he, really?" Danny asked.

She glanced at the monitors for verification. "His last temp check was almost 98 degrees, so that is good although he still has bouts of shivering. Blood pressure is still low. Kidneys are functioning – that's good, lungs still have some blockage and his stats aren't normal, but given where he was twelve hours ago, he's doing great. I can't believe he was even conscious this afternoon, let alone able to recall what happened."

"He believes that all rules were meant to be broken," Danny told her. "At least once."

They took one last look at their sleeping friend before turning to leave. "Are we allowed back tonight?" Kono asked as they stepped back into the hallway.

"Yes, of course. The deal was at six, wasn't it? But I intend for him to sleep for as long as possible. In addition to the pain meds, he has a muscle relaxant in the IV. If he continues to do well this evening, we may move him to a room sometime later tonight. I'll wait and let Dr. Bassett make that call."

"If he gives you any trouble, let us know. We'll make sure someone will be available to make him behave. If nothing else, we'll call the governor. She's the one person who can put him in his place."

"I'll keep that in mind," the doctor said with a smile. "Thanks for coming in."

"Thank you," Chin replied. "With Steve's help, we now have one of the two names we need to close this case. Maybe we can lock it down tonight."

~~~ H50 ~~~


	11. Chapter 10

_**Once again, I repeat…thanks to all of you who have reviewed. I really appreciate that you take the time to do so. One thing I want to clarify, because I'm not sure it makes sense. When you see the '…' when Steve is talking, that denotes that he has to pause for breath. I wasn't sure how best to show that and I hope it isn't too annoying.**_

_**Again, thanks to Sockie for the excellent beta. **_

_**Chapter 10**_

Danny walked to the end of the hallway, checking room numbers as he went. "Might know it would be the last one," he mumbled to himself, walking into the room. He peeked around the drawn curtain to find his partner asleep in bed, looking decidedly different than he had last night in ICU.

The face mask had been replaced by nasal cannula and the layers of white gauze had been removed from around his head, making McGarrett look less like a half-dead creature left over from Halloween. Although the butterfly strips on his cheek and the black stitches in his chin were still a nice touch.

And then there were the bruises in full bloom; black and blue with shades of purple thrown in for good measure. And that was just his face. Danny walked to the bed for a closer view.

"Not nice…to stare."

"And a good morning to you, too, Aqua Man."

"Wasn't sleeping." Steve opened his eyes and blinked. "Really? Aqua Man's…best you got?"

"If the fins fit… And yes, you were sleeping."

"Not. Heard those new shoes coming…all the way down…hall."

"See-now I know you're lying," Danny wagged his finger in Steve's face. "I'm not wearing the new loafers because someone barfed on them the other night. They need to be polished. After being fumigated."

"And I guess I'm paying for that?"

"I'll add it to my expense report. You just have to sign it and send it on to the governor's office."

"Yeah, that'll happen. You get…robbed last night?"

"Come again?"

Steve half-heartedly waved a finger at him. "No tie."

"Ah. It is Sunday and I am taking the day off. I am wearing jeans and, very observant of you even with a battered brain, you notice I am not wearing a tie."

"Where're Chin and Kono? Ever'thing OK?"

"Everything is fine. You will be happy to know that yesterday while you were sleeping the day away, Kapule and his gang bangers were arrested. The Guatemalan guy – DeCordova – was on a plane, but by the time he reached San Diego, we had a warrant for his arrest. He was picked up at the airport and spent last night in jail and is being delivered back to Hawaii as we speak. As for Chin and Kono – I told them to get some rest. The weekend was a bit… taxing, to say the least. Although, instead of resting, knowing them, I am quite sure Chin is out on his bike and Kono is on a surf board. Said they'd both be by later in the afternoon."

"Good. Glad you got the perps."

"So… we've covered just about everything else. How are _**you**_ doing?"

"OK, I guess. 'Cept I can't move."

Danny's eyes widened in panic and he gripped the bed rail with both hands. "WHAT? When did that happen?"

"Danno, calm down. Not…that way. Muscles just won't cooperate."

"At all?" Danny looked at him and realized he had seen him move a finger and nothing else.

He once again wiggled the fingers on his right hand. "Fingers are okay. Arms and legs on strike."

"Well, at least you're awake. That's a step up from last time I saw you."

"I was awake when you were here."

"Au contraire," Williams shook his own finger in Steve's face and grinned. "We came to see you last night and you were passed out like the proverbial drunken sailor."

"Witty. How long have…you waited to…use that one?"

"Knock, knock." Dr. Palakiko looked around the curtain. "Good morning, Commander. Detective."

"Mornin', Doc. How's he doin' today?"

She was glancing through the chart. "Well, let's find that out. Commander, do you want Detective Williams to leave the room while I examine you?"

Steve sighed. "Yes. but... not necessary. Send him away…an' he'll just stand at the door… eavesdroppin'."

Danny nodded and grinned at his partner. "Damn straight."

"All right," the doctor said. She closed the folder and glanced at her patient while pulling a pen light from her pocket.

Steve groaned when he saw the instrument in her hand. "Not that damn light again."

She turned it on shook her head. "Sorry, but this should be a piece of cake after what you've been through."

"Not your brain you're trying to fry…with that thing." He closed his eyes before she could get close.

"Just look down." She pried first one eye, and then the other open, checking his pupils, then turned his head to the side so that she could see the stitches in the back. "Does that hurt?" she asked, touching the slightly swollen area.

"When you poke it like that, yeah."

She took a deep breath and glared at him. "How's the headache? And don't you dare tell me you don't have one."

He had his mouth open to reply, but had to stop when she stole his answer.

"Not bad," he grudgingly admitted.

"Which is about a 12 on a normal human scale from one to ten," Danny supplied.

"Not helpin', Dan..."

Palakiko put a thermometer in her patient's ear and he flinched. "That hurts?"

"When you touch it,…everything hurts," he griped. "Told you that."

"I understand. Hmmm, temp is 98.3. You're almost back to normal."

"Easy for you to say," Danny added.

"Are you still here?"

"Yes, Steven I am still here. If I weren't, I wouldn't ever know how you're doing, because you would either lie about it or ignore me."

"Boys, calm down. You're giving _**me**_ a headache." The doctor picked up the chart once again and made a couple notations. "Anything hurting today that didn't hurt yesterday?"

"Yeah," McGarrett admitted. "My pride."

"Then we're doing well," she replied. "Pride mends. Anything else?"

"Foot's throbbing."

She moved to the end of the bed and lifted the light sheet that had been covering his foot. "Still pretty swollen," she commented, pressing her fingers on his ankle to check the pulse. "Has a good pulse though. We usually use ice for the swelling, but since you were already a Popsicle, that would have been a bit detrimental."

"Really helping…with that pride thing."

Palakiko grinned at him and reached for another pillow. "I try."

She handed the pillow to Danny. "Here, can you slide this under when I raise his foot?" Task accomplished, she added "thanks" and carefully set the limb back down on the stack of pillows.

"That should be better," she told her patient, glancing to his face. "Are you OK?"

Steve unclenched his jaw and nodded, letting out his breath.

"Hopefully we'll get you in a boot in a day or two and this will begin to feel better, but there's still too much swelling to do that now. Ortho said you've got a couple broken bones in your foot in addition to the sprained muscles in your ankle and knee."

"Nobody said anything about the knee," Danny complained, raising the sheet a bit higher to check it out. "Wow. At least it matches the rest of your leg."

"Geez, Williams. Drop the sheet, 'n get your…jollies elsewhere."

"I'm looking at your knee, you moron. The promise of hazard pay wouldn't be enough incentive to raise that sheet further."

"And Commander, trust me, I've already seen it all," the doctor told him as she replaced the covers.

"Remember that pride thing? Think we can…change the subject?" he pleaded.

"How's your stomach feeling? Up to trying to eat something?"

"God…please no," he begged. "Any other subject." They watched as even the bruises on his face paled when he thought of food.

"OK, don't panic," Palakiko assured him. "But I would guess the upchucking is about over."

"Not soon enough. Trust me."

"I know last night was no fun," she replied, picking up the chart, "but you needed to get all that out of there. In the old days, they would have rammed a tube down your throat and siphoned it all out. Consider yourself lucky."

"Yeah, that's me."

She made another notation and then looked up and smiled at him. "I'll check back later. You get some rest."

"Can't move,…so nothing better to do."

"Then I've got you right where I want you. Goodbye, gentlemen."

"She's sort of…different," Danny remarked after she left.

"Army docs are a different breed. She just got back from…Afghanistan."

"Wow. I'm impressed. What's this about throwing up last night?" He dragged a chair over next to the bed and sat down, hands behind his head.

"Rather... not talk about it..."

Danny pointed over his shoulder towards the door. "Do I need to go find the good doctor and drag it out of her, or are you going to make it easier and just tell me yourself?"

Steve closed his eyes, and swallowed convulsively before replying, "Drank at least a third…of the Pacific Ocean…said prob'ly bacteria or something. Once I started throwing up,…stomach wouldn't stop." He swallowed once again. "Dry heaves kept coming. But at least they had to take … that damn mask off my face…an' once I stopped pukin' they moved me in here."

"Well, I'm glad we let you sleep because it sounds like you had a pretty crappy night. Did you get any rest?"

Steve sighed. "Yeah. Crazy sleep. They drugged me every four hours…even after I told 'em to stop."

Danny's reply was stopped by another loud voice. "Heard there was someone needing a rescue in here?"

"Hey, guys!" Danny looked up, surprised to see Buck and Boomer enter the room.

Boomer walked to the bed, a wide grin on his face. "Hey, Doggie. You know it's already spread like wildfire that you got your ass stuck in a cave, don't you?"

"No help from you, of course," McGarrett replied, offering a grin of his own.

"How ya doing?" Buck asked.

"I'm here. Kinda hard to tell, but I think I'm still in one piece," McGarrett admitted. "So I guess a thank you…is in order."

"Hey, I owed you one after our last excursion," Buck answered, a solemn look on his face. "Glad I could help."

"Whose pea brain idea…to use C-4 in a cave?" Steve asked, turning back to Boomer.

The SEAL shrugged. "What can I say? You use what's available. You gonna whine about it, Princess?"

"You're a crazy ass, ...Donelson. You do know there are… million dollar homes on top of that rock, right?"

Boomer turned to Danny. "I think you neglected to mention that fact, Partner."

"Excuse me!...didn't really have a chance before you grabbed a backpack filled with explosives and went overboard," Danny shot back, grinning at him.

"Hey, McGarrett, got a question for you." Boomer looked over to Danny and grinned. "Just how good of a detective is your partner?"

Steve turned to Danny seated on the opposite side of his bed. With a grin of his own, he replied, "Has his moments. Why? "

Danny laughed and pointed at Steve. "Boomer, I taught him everything he knows. Not that he ever listens."

"Well, Dog, your partner is nosing around trying to find out why your name is 'Smooth Dog'. Just giving you a heads up."

"Tell me you didn't!" The shout Steve was going for was more of a squeak and the glare he gave Boomer was also a bit off, but the underlying threat was understood.

"Hey, Man, it's not coming from me. It's your secret."

Steve turned to face his partner once more. "Danny,… gonna say this once. Drop it."

Williams smiled back at him. "If you say so. Princess."

The two SEALs laughed at the exchange. "We gotta go. Moving out tonight. You guys take care of each other, you hear," Boomer ordered.

"Always. And thanks," Steve added.

Danny replied, "It's a tough job, but I'll do my best."

"Glad we were in port," Buck told them, then pointed to Steve, "Just don't make a habit of needing rescue. People will claim you're getting soft."

"That would be Boomer…spreading that rumor. Stay safe."

"Yeah, man. Later." Boomer gave a sloppy, half-hearted salute before walking out the door.

"You know I will find out," Danny warned, an evil grin on his face. "So you might as well spill it."

"Ain't gonna happen,… Danno."

"We'll see."

A nurse entered carrying syringes. "The doctor has upped your meds," she told her patient. "And it's time for another dose."

"Of what?" McGarrett asked. "Don't need…knock out drops."

"One is a muscle relaxant—"

"I'm so relaxed now… can't move, what th'hell more…does she want?"

Palakiko came into the room. "She wants you to quit yelling so other patients can rest. You must be feeling better."

He stared at her. "How can I know… how I feel when you…keep drugging me? That should be illegal."

She turned to the nurse and nodded, motioning her to continue the job of adding the drugs in the IV. "I'm fairly certain you don't want to let these wear off. One is a relaxant and the other is for pain. " She looked at him and held up her hand for silence. "No arguing, you're getting both of them, at least for today. We'll reevaluate the doses tonight." She turned to Danny and continued. "And I don't mind you staying, but make him shut up and rest."

Williams nodded, sitting back down in his chair. "Deal."

She moved back to the bed and leaned over, adjusting one of the pumps. "You've been talking too much. Just listen to yourself; you're wheezing again."

" 'M'fine."

"No you're not fine and you're not fooling anyone," she retorted. "I've heard 80 year old emphysema patients who sound better. Now close your eyes _**and**_ your mouth, before I turn into a real meanie and slap that mask back on your face." She patted his arm and said, "I'm still in charge, and yes I do know you outrank me." With what he determined to be an evil grin, she turned and left the room.

"Danny, go home," Steve said crossly. "No reason for two of us…to go crazy in here."

"I'm good," Williams replied, clasping his hands behind his head and leaning back in the chair. "Just going to sit here and watch the 'changing of the colors' on your face."

"Bite me."

"I think you're supposed to shut up now. Go to sleep. If I'm not here when you wake up, Chin or Kono will be. We've got your back."

"I know. But I don't have to… like being here."

"It won't be long before you're out there scaring the world with your crazy ass self again."

His partner didn't answer and Danny grinned at him, watching his eyes close. "But before you do get back to work, we are going to sit down and have a talk. And that, Smooth Dog, is a promise."

~~~H50~~~


	12. Chapter 11

_**This is the end, guys! Thank you so much for sticking with this story and for continuing to write reviews**_. _**Your reviews give me the incentive to want to write as best as i can. Once again, I don't own any of this with the exception of a few characters I manufactured in my own little brain.**_

_**And once again I need to thank Sockie for her excellent beta skills, in addition to a little badgering on the side. She is very good at that, too. So, thanks again. Here goes...**_

**_Chapter 11_**

Steve felt almost like his old self. Just as long as he didn't have to pass a mirror. Most of his bruises had faded to yellow and green, his muscles had finally quit aching and cramping and he no longer felt cold.

He was wearing what they called a 'boot' on his foot and leg, which he thought was just a silly-ass contraption designed to make him limp, but he hadn't complained when the doctor said wear it 'at least four weeks'. Well, he hadn't complained too much.

Maybe loudly, but not much.

OK, loudly **_and_** much, but it didn't help because his foot was stuck in the stupid thing.

With great satisfaction, he walked up the steps of their headquarters, Danny at his side. He had spent almost a week in the hospital and then another at home doing pretty much nothing but going crazy. No swimming and no running made him a bit cranky. Finally on this sunny Monday morning, he was back. A little worse for wear, but back where he belonged. And even if he wasn't quite 100%, he needed any kind of action he could find.

McGarrett smiled when he opened the glass doors to 5-0's office space. Both Chin and Kono were at the smart board but turned around at his "Aloha!" Danny went straight to his office when Steve moved into the tech area of the office.

"Hey, Boss." Kono had a wide grin on her face. "Welcome back."

"Likewise," Chin added. "Glad to have you back."

"Good to be here," he assured them, stopping by the board. "Anything major going on?"

"Not yet," Chin replied. "But we may have a major uprising soon."

"Like what?" McGarrett asked a puzzled expression on his face.

"Hey!" Kono got his attention. "In honor of your return, I brought breakfast. Coco Puffs for us," she stated, then turned around to pick up a plastic cup, "and a strawberry ginseng smoothie for you. We missed you."

"Thanks, Kono." He took a swallow from the straw, saluted her with the drink and turned to head to his office. "Anything in here I should focus on first?" he asked over his shoulder.

Danny came into the bull pen area. "Not just yet, Steve. We need to speak with you."

"What's up?" He had his hand on his door, but turned to look at Williams, then to his other team members who suddenly refused to look him in the eye.

Steve's radar started blipping.

"Danny?"

Danny moved to the table and pulled out a chair, patting it on the back. "Have a seat, please."

"Why?" Steve glanced once more toward Kono who was busy inspecting her shoes.

Danny pointed again to the chair. "Sit. Down. Now. We are going to have a little talk."

"Danny, we can—"

"Steven, shut up and sit down. Like I said, we need to talk."

McGarrett sat in the chair so forcefully that it rolled away from the table. He pushed it back, set down his drink, crossed his arms and waited. "I'm sitting."

Danny waved one arm in the air. "Thank you. This," his arm swept to encompass the room. "This is an intervention, if you will."

Steve snorted. "OK, this is really crazy." He put his hand on the table and prepared to stand.

"Uh unh. Not so fast."

His partner slumped back in his seat and crossed his arms in a defiant pose.

"I have even prepared a PowerPoint presentation for your viewing pleasure."

"Geez, Danny." He swiveled the chair to look at Chin Ho. "You're going along with this?"

"It's something you need to think about Steve. Listen up."

_Looks like you're on your own, McGarrett. There's definite mutiny in the ranks._

"Chin, lets run it." Danny nodded at his "technical advisor" before turning his attention back to Steve. "Maybe by the time this is over, we can drill some proper police procedure into your head."

Steve turned the chair back around. "You're kidding, right?"

"Listen and Learn. And by the way, you should be proud. I did this PowerPoint all by myself."

A picture of McGarrett appeared on the screen.

"What the hell?"

"This, my friend, is you. A solid, Rambo type figure that is hell bent on truth, justice and the American Way."

"Hey! That's my military ID. You broke into my desk!"

"Guilty as charged. And, I digress, but were you really **_trying _**to make that face? Really? Because that face would scare small children **_and_** their pets."

"Do you have a point here?"

"Of course I have a point. I always have a point. You see, we are going to discuss the concept of 'back-up'. Once again, I might add. I distinctly remember that we have had this discussion before."

"I—"

"No-no-no. Shut it, because I have the floor." He ignored the glare from his partner and continued. "So, on the left you see a photo…not a very flattering one…of you. We shall title our first slide the 'back-uppee'."

Thanks to Chin's computer wizardry, the word magically appeared on the screen below the photo, one letter at a time.

"That's not a word," McGarrett breathed quietly.

"My slide, my word. Next slide, Chin."

A picture of Danny, Chin and Kono filled the right hand side of the screen. Danny circled their pictures with a laser pointer that had magically appeared in his hand. "On the right, we have what I like to call the 'backer-uppers'." He paused as those words appeared small on the screen, and then grew in size, flashing and turning backwards before finally settling under the photo.

"Really?" Steve glared at him. "Into overkill much?"

"LISTEN UP! Now, how can we, the backer-uppers," he pointed to their pictures by shining a red dot on their faces, "help **_you_**, the wayward, often lost, back-uppee, when we can't find your sorry ass?" The red dot circled McGarrett's face on the left of the screen.

Danny began to pace. "Once again, you went off by yourself, half-cocked, just to 'drive by' and check something out." He stopped and turned, pointing to McGarrett. "Do you not realize just how wrong that is?"

"Hey, come on, I got the guys, didn't I? Besides, I distinctly remember that I did call you for back-up."

"Back-up is readily available, you moron." He used the laser light once again, highlighting Steve's face on the screen. "See that picture up there? Capital M-O-R-O-N is what it should say. You can't call me from the other side of this rock and yell in the phone, 'I need help'. That's not the way it works. Back-up is someone **_at your back_**. How difficult is that to understand?"

"I still managed to find and neutralize the bad guys. And I'm OK."

"You're OK? Unbelievable." Danny blew out his breath, then muttered, "Next slide, Chin."

A picture of Spitting Cave appeared on the screen. "**_This_** is where you ended up, Steven." He pointed to the screen. "We searched for you for hours. Long hours. In the dark. And finally found you stuck in that hole right there." The red dot highlighted the cave's opening. "And then they pulled you out of that cave…and from what the doctors said, pretty much at the last minute."

"OK, OK, I get that you were scar—"

Danny suddenly had had enough.

He shoved aside another chair and swung Steve's chair around, holding on to both chair arms so that McGarrett had to lean back to get away from him. "Don't you dare tell me how scared I was. When they pulled you out of there, you could have passed for SuperSEAL SMURF. Dammit, Steve, you were blue. And that was before all the bruises. And then I watched on the chopper-"

He pushed back from the chair and stood, turning his back on his partner. Danny ran both hands through his hair as he blew out another breath in an attempt to calm down. In a quiet voice, he added, "Never mind, you can go to your office. If you're not willing to listen, I guess the lesson is over."

Steve took a deep breath of his own. His voice was low and earnest when he spoke. "Danny, I get it. I'm sorry, I know you were scared. Hell…I don't think I've ever been so scared in my life. I…I uh,—" he turned around and made eye contact with Kelly. "Before Chin came in, I knew I couldn't hang on much more. I was under water longer and longer with every wave and it wasn't going to be long before my air would be gone. I had come to grips that I wasn't going to make it out of there."

"Thank God you didn't give up," Kono said.

McGarrett glanced at her, and then looked down, running his finger along the table. "I knew you guys were out there. Somewhere." He shook his head, the memory still too close for comfort. "But I really didn't think you would find me." Steve stopped and took a deep breath. "OK, Danny, I'll admit it, my judgment was a little - off. I should have waited."

"Off, you say?" Danny shook his head in amazement, then waved his hands at his partner. "Only you can take off down the road on a warm Hawaiian night, driving along this peaceful highway, breeze blowing, radio playing some totally pathetic song, take a turn into an awesome neighborhood, and come upon someone shooting someone else." Each phrase was emphasized by melodramatic hand gestures.

"How do you do it? How do you take a totally innocent night and turn it into twelve hours of pure hell? Care to answer that one, Rambo?"

Steve gave him an embarrassed, half grin and shrugged. "Guess I'm lucky like that. Are we done?"

"Yes. No…almost. Chin, throw up the last slide."

On the monitors above them, words appeared and Danny read, his pointer punctuating each word.

**_I, Steven J. McGarrett, do solemnly swear, that, in the future, I will not willingly go off half-crazed anywhere on this piece of volcanic rock without my much-needed and extremely talented backup, namely Danny, Chin and Kono. _**

"You need to practice reading that every day, Steven. A copy will be in your office and I will also make a laminated card for your wallet. You can thank me later."

Steve rolled his eyes and huffed. "Wouldn't hold my breath for that thank you. I said I got your point. I understand. Now can I go?"

"In just a minute." Danny reached into his pocket, and retrieved a bell hanging from a red cord. He held it up to show them. "Do you know what this is?"

"Well, since I'm not one of the extremely talented detectives here, I can't say for certain, but I think it's an ugly green bell hanging on a red string," Steve shot back. "Why?"

"Very astute. Maybe a tad sarcastic though. Grace left it in my office after Christmas. Here on the island, one might call it a 'Mele Cowabunga' bell, or however you say it."

Three voices chimed in, "Mele Kalikimaka!"

"Yeah, that." He rang the bell. "See, it makes a nice little ringy-dingy. Anyway, said bell is going to hang on your office door to remind you that you need to remember your back-up."

"And just how's that ugly thing going to make it happen?"

"If…and this is a big IF…you are sitting in your office and decide to take off on your own, you will hear the bell when you open your door. That's your cue. And remember that if you do not call me, Chin or Kono, I will personally tie this thing around your neck so that you can't make a move without one of us hearing it. Kind of like a cow bell."

McGarrett rested his elbow on the table, chin in hand, a grin on his face. "I've gotta ask. You and **_whose_** army will get that thing around my neck?"

"An Army of One, Mr. Navy SEAL. You have my word."

Steve chuckled. "Would almost be worth it," he mumbled, standing up and retrieving his drink.

"Come again?"

"Nothing, Danny. Do you think we can get some work done now?"

"Of course." He followed Steve to his office, pointing to the two doors. "Where do you want me to put this bell?"

Steve moved behind his desk and looked at his partner. "Danny, really? Are you sure you want me to answer that question?"

Steve settled back into his chair and smiled at the expression on Danny's face.

Yes, it was good to be back.

~~~H50~~~


End file.
